Stolen Virtue
by Sinead Rivka
Summary: .:Beast Wars:. There are some who deal with power in a balanced fashion, letting virtue and honor even the scales. Others use it to violate and destroy. Tied Winner for Tear Jerker at 2004 BWINT Fanfiction Awards. Complete
1. It Begins

Stolen Virtue  
By: Sinead

_**Author's Note:**__ This isn't my typical romance-type story. Well, it wasn't at first. And as a forewarning, it __is__ about rape, and about the aftereffects of what one character has to go through while healing the body, mind, and soul from such a violent injustice. Just something that my own mind ended up thinking about one day. I guess that it kinda cures the writer's block that I've been having lately. Scary, ne?_

_**Updated Note:**__ I'm editing this and reposting it. I will make note of which part is edited, and what is completed. Even though this story is well over three years old, it still remains to be one of my own personal favorites._

Part One: It Begins

.o.V.o.

The nine companions had been wandering for days. Their feet were sore, their eyes weary from always being on the watch, their nerves shattered and shuddering from the strain of not being in a situation as they had found themselves in. Some understood this kind of circumstance, but it was their first time experiencing living in the wilderness, and living off of the wilderness. Fortunately, they had been able to catch _some_ game, so they weren't hungry.

"This landscape sucks. It's all rocks and dirt."

"Yes, Dannn, we know."

"It smells, too."

"_Yes_, Dannn, we _know_."

"Can we go home now?" the three boys wailed, half in attempt to lighten the mood.

The remainder of the companions, six girls, only blinked at them in frustration. This had been the third time that Dannn, Skyfire, and Sharpshot had brought this certain conversation up. Miss Special growled in irritation, then threw her hands up and stalked off in the direction that they had been traveling towards. Sapphire and Starath shared a look, then followed her. Neither wanted to deal with the opposite gender after the recent few spats. Nurannoniel quickly followed those two, while Lady Venom and Sinead jointly sighed after sharing a look. The former spoke first. "Guys, we have absolutely no choice in this. First off, we don't know where we are. You remember that point that Starath made?"

Something glinted, catching Sinead's eye, and she walked towards it, leaving her friend to take care of the small situation. Lady Venom continued. "So we're heading south. Hopefully there'll be some sort of–"

Sinead's guttural yell of shock cut her off. "Uuoh!"

Everyone turned, while Sapphire and Starath each drew a dagger, running towards their current rear guard, already into a fight-or-flight adrenaline rush. "What is it?!"

One word was uttered by Lady Venom as she pointed to the metal with her long, thin finger. "Look."

It was a piece of metal, roughly a foot long and red in color. Sinead reached out and brushed her fingers along it, then shuddered and pulled her hand back sharply. "I don't like the looks of this, guys. And it doesn't _feel_ right."

"It's a piece of metal. So that means we're around civilization!" Sharpshot cried out in glee.

Lady Venom picked the metal up then turned it over, exposing wiring clinging to the underside of it. Her eyebrows shot up, as did Nurannoniel's, who was standing beside her. "Really."

"Woah . . ." Starath breathed, looking closer. "That's not human-made."

There was something else on the top of it, Lady Venom realized, an engraving, but crusted and caked in dried mud. Pulling out a pocket-knife, she roughly cleaned it, causing shivers to run up everyone's spines at the rasping of metal-on-metal. The nine authors stared at the insignia glaring up at them. Nurannoniel sighed. "Great. Who did this belong to, you think?"

"Dunno. But whoever he was, he most likely _wasn't_ happy about getting this ripped off," Skyfire observed, seeing another piece of metal. It was strewn partially across the small clearing, and easy to get to. Picking it up and wiping it off on his jeans, he brought it over to Sapphire, as both recognized the patterning and coloration of the odd, unearthly metal. "Rattrap was here. And there's a partial scorch-mark on the edge of Mystery-Man's arm, so explosives were used. I'd say that he got out alive, both of them."

Lady Venom was still staring at the arm. "Two Predacons have red coloring. Three, including Terrorsaur. We've seen signs of the Quantum surge passing, so this is the second season . . . hopefully we're not too far into it."

Miss Special locked her eyes upon Lady Venom's. "Yeah. That leaves either Ferny or Rampy as being the owner of _this_. You wanna return it, or shall I?" she quipped, an ironic half-grin hiking the side of her mouth up.

"As much as I'd like to meet him, I'd have to say that I'll skip out on handing this back to Rampage."

Dannn looked at Sinead, whose silence in this conversation had a bit of an edge upon it. "'Nead? Something wrong?"

She nodded. "I followed a few tracks. Both of them had been knocked out by the blast. Both were dragged in one direction."

There was silence.

"We_gotta_ help Rattrap," Sapphire said, clutching the small piece of Cybertronian armoring to her chest.

Sinead shook her head. "Don't get worried, Sapphire. I'm going to follow the tracks a little further, and then come back here. If they were both taken by one faction or the other, I'll soon know. If they split up, then maybe they're back with their respective sides."

"Unless there's a prisoner exchange," Starath piped up.

Sinead shook her head. "Megatron would let Rampy wreak havoc upon the Maximal base _any_ day. Why pass up an opportunity to do so?"

Silence reigned for another five minutes. Just as Miss Special was about to open her mouth, however, a distant scream rent the air.

Nine heads snapped in the direction of the scream. Sinead was the first to shake off the paralysis that comes from shock, and grabbed Miss Special's arm. "Cover the back! Make sure that we don't get snuck up on!"

Miss Special hefted her evil-looking crossbow up into a ready position, grinning wickedly. "_Way_ ahead of you."

.o.V.o.

The bot's chest heaved. Lances of pain edged around every movement, and they weren't finished with him yet. Not by far. He knew that it would be long and painful for him, but he hadn't expected for it to be drawn out quite so far.

"Oh, dear," a nasally, quivering voice hissed. "I fear we've worn him out, haven't we, _mighty_ Megatron?"

Unable to activate his optics in the bright lighting of the torture chamber, the Maximal heard the oily, smooth voice of his captor. "I'm afraid so, Tarantulus, yes. We'll finish this later on tonight, Maximal, and never you forget that." A chuckle sent shudders down the spine of the captive. "At least, _I_'ll be back to finish this. Or Rampage. Sweet dreams . . . yes, _indeed_."

The door slammed shut, sending pain shooting through his head. Unexpectedly, the lights shut off, and Rampage's voice was heard through the now-locked door. "Believe me . . . he'll not touch you tonight until _I_ am finished with my fun with you."

Letting himself activate his optics, the Maximal looked up at the ceiling. Pain was his world; pain and darkness was all that he could feel. He was spread-eagled upon his back on a table, tied down at the wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles. They had not restricted his chest, otherwise there was a chance that with what one of the torture methods were, the bond would have been accidentally cut.

He forced himself to look down at himself, memorizing the already-scarring wounds, the rivulets of mech-fluid seeping out of his body. His battle armor, which every Cybertronian wore now that the war was always throwing the unexpected at both side, had been ripped off of him the moment he had been brought into this room, and there it was in the far corner. But there was no way that he could get to it. He couldn't even walk. The pain was too great . . .

_NO!!!_

He shut his optics off, slamming his head to the left, refusing to look at himself any longer. But closing his eyes would not stop the memories from rising to the surface. Megatron's face leering above him, Tarantulus' snickers as the spider had cut him while he did unmentionable horrors to the Maximal hostage . . . and then there was Rampage's giggles of glee as each whimper and scream was brought forth as every new burst of pain blossomed deep within the Maximal's body.

Tears of hopelessness fell.

.o.V.o.

Sinead slowed to a walk, seeing something that greatly resembled a small war zone. The other authors were watching as well. Miss Special touched an old tree, feeling the ashes slough off upon her fingers. "Inferno was here at one point."

"So were two others, both Maximals," Skyfire replied, pointing at two new pairs of tracks, coming from a new direction. He crouched down, blinking at some disturbances in what had been mud at one point, then asked, "What are these?"

Starath peered overt his shoulder, then crouched closer, her face less than a foot away from the footprint. "That's like a . . . crap! That's a Velociraptor foot!"

She put her hand down next to the print for reference as Sinead joined the duo. She frowned, then estimated the size. "Eight, nine inches? Can't be Velociraptor. Utahraptor, maybe."

"We've had this debate before, you know,"Starath said teasingly.

Sinead grinned, then eyed the clearing. She wanted to recreate what the battle had been like. They had done this before, which was leading them to where they now were. "Try not to step on anything, please?"

Dannn pointed to the ground, keeping off of the tracks, unlike the time before. "The bigger dude was dragged off this way."

"Yeah," Nurannoniel said from another part of the small clearing, having followed a set out to one side. "But the smaller person was carried, it looks like. And then whose footprints are these?"

Sapphire and Sinead walked over to the Elven-named author who was looking at two sets of footprints, walking between one and another with quick, small steps. Sapphire looked at the sword-toting girl next to her. "Sinead, put your foot next to it."

Sinead complied, and her face paled as a realization hit her. She studied the size of the print, then looked up at the half-cloudy sky while envisioning rough proportions. "I guess Dinobot's no seven-footer. By the looks of _this_, he has to be about nine. Eight, at the very least."

Sapphire nodded. Nurannoniel pointed to where a drag-marks were heading. "He went with them."

Miss Special and Sapphire looked at each other. The American started the recreation. "'Kay. So. Preds are dragging one of theirs and a hostage off to their base."

"Maximals intervene from _that_ direction . . . Dinobot and one other."

"Silverbolt," Lady Venom called out, holding up a handful of feathers. "He got shot, but not badly. He walked off in _that_ direction."

"So they battled," Sharpshot added in. "And Dinobot was taken."

Sinead shook her head. "No. By the looks of the way he had been walking, he gave himself up so that Rattrap would get back to the Maximals. He gave himself in exchange."

Cries of, "That's insane!" "What was he thinking?!" Why would he do that?!" sprung up from the group. Sinead's eyes darkened into near-violet, as she looked at the trail that lead towards the Predacon base. "He did that because Rattrap was already injured. He did that so that the Predacons wouldn't follow Rattrap and Silverbolt back to the Maximal base. I'm going after his trail, see if there's anything that can be done."

"Not alone!" Starath snapped, her own blue eyes darkening in anger.

"Most definitely _not_," Sharpshot added, crouching to pull out his rifle, loading it swiftly. "Let's go. I'll take point this time. Miss Special, you're behind me, then it's Sinead, Sapphire, Starath, Dannn, Nurann, Lady V, and Skyfire, you take rear guard."

They fell into a staggered line, following the sharpshooter.

.o.V.o.

Rattrap looked at Optimus and Rhinox. They were in Predacon territory, within sight of the base, but not close enough to send off perimeter alarms. "We hafta get him! You _heard_ 'im, Optimus!"

Rhinox sighed. "Rattrap's right. We have to act soon."

Cheetor was already shaking. He never thought that he would have lived to hear Dinobot's voice howl as agonizingly as it did not fifteen minutes past. He never wanted to hear it like that again. He felt hands rest upon his shoulders, and he turned to see . . . humans? Three had walked up behind him, all with the intent to comfort. He could only blink and nod his thanks while he rebooted his vocoder. "Who are you?"

All optics turned upon the small group. A slender girl with a broadsword walked forward. "We're helping."

"I don't think so," Optimus fairly growled. He was already stressed out enough with this situation. The adding of humans into the mix didn't do any good. "Dinobot's my responsibility. And who the slag are you?!"

"Sinead," came the calm reply. "And don't you tell me what to do. You're not my leader. I'm _choosing_ to go in, but I'll not ruin any surprise that you might have in store for the Preds."

Sapphire and Miss Special came up beside their friend, each with their respective shortsword easy in its scabbard and crossbow ready to fight. Miss Special spoke first. "'Nead and Sharpshot over there picked the trail up about a mile back. How long has he been in there?"

"Four days," Rattrap croaked out. "Four days of patching into his comm only to hear him scream. He shoulda let me go with dem. I don't even know what dey're doin' t' him."

Sinead snorted. "Snap out of it. Stop your pity-party. We're here to help with a rescue mission, not get all sappy because someone decided to put their life on the line for a comrade! Now you tell us the plan, and we'll work around it, Primal." She was frustrated, tired, grimy, and wanted nothing more than to have an uninterrupted sleep that lasted more than even five hours. Right now, that was how everyone was feeling. Sinead just wasn't dealing with it well.

Starath walked up to Rattrap, standing just out of arm's length of the shortest Maximal. "No matter what, though, we'll need your help. You're the closest to him, aren't you?"

Rattrap nodded hesitantly. Sapphire smiled, then reached up to rest her hand upon his head. "You'll be fine, and so will he if _we_ have anything to say about it."

Rhinox looked over the group of nine. "Optimus, I'd let them."

"What?!"

The technician indicated the group that he had been watching intently while they had set up a very discreet perimeter around the Maximals. "They're armed, they look as if they _know_ how to use those weapons . . . let them do so."

Optimus sighed. "Cheetor? Silverbolt?"

The two Maximals nodded simultaneously. Optimus nodded in return. "Thought so. Right. Distract them from the front, give Rattrap and Cheetor enough time to get in the back and get Dinobot out. That simple."

Sinead drew a dagger, and drew a rough sketch in the dirt by their feet. "Have Cheetor help with the frontal assault. Rattrap, from what the battle site showed, was pretty torn up. Perhaps he would still be in a CR chamber?"

"Hm. Possibly. The Predacons . . . How do you know about CR chambers?"

Everyone ignored his question. Sapphire took her own dagger out, and made three Xs around the front of the Predacon base. "Sharpshot, Miss Special, and Skyfire, you three here, here, and here. Quibble about who gets where later."

Lady Venom was already strapping on her gloves with their unbreakable metal nails, making sure to secure them around her lower arms so as to add in support. She tapped the ends together with metallic _tings_, and grinned evilly. "I'm helping with frontal assault?"

Sinead and Sapphire jointly nodded, silent. Clearing her throat, Sapphire said, "Everyone else, you know your specialties, you divvy up who wants to go where."

Starath started charging up the sleeve that allowed her to discharge large amounts of energon-laced energy at her opponents. It was her main weapon, while the sword was her secondary. "I want to go inside."

Sinead shook her head, pulling her short hair up into a small ponytail. "You have a projectile weapon that can be used for long-distance. Me and Sapph are the only two who have close combat weaponry and nothing better to do than sit on our thumbs out here. We'd be liabilities to you guys unless things get messy out here and close combat is inevitable."

The strawberry-blonde seemed disappointed, but she covered it well with a lopsided grin. "Well, can't be ruining the decor, now can I?"

"Sure you can!" Skyfire said cheerfully, hefting both shotguns up to point at the sky. "Just say that you were aiming at that fat so-and-so that was really running back _inside_!"

The humans chuckled in desperation, feeling almost a queasy nervousness start to rise to the surface. Sinead looked at Optimus. "When do you plan upon putting this all into motion?"

The three cover-shooters started a game of rocks-paper-scissors for who would get the first pick of position. Optimus watched them for a moment, then replied, "Once you and your crew are ready." He paused. "You sure that you want to go in?"

Sinead nodded. "I want to get him out as badly as you do."

"Why?"

Neither Sinead nor Sapphire had an answer that would satisfy the Maximal leader. Both stayed silent. A cuss was heard, and Sharpshot walked over to join Sinead and Sapphire. He rested an arm around each of their waists. "Now what're two good-lookin' girls like you doing with faces like _those_?"

Sinead laughed, and pushed him away. "You flirt!"

"So tell me!"

Sapphire laughed, and then shook her head. "Maybe later. And would you get your arm off of me?"

"Ah. Right."

"Thanks."

"Anytime, Sapph!"

Sinead smiled. Rhinox noticed something about the eyes of both her and Sapphire. Some sort of pain had been dealt out to them. Most of these authors had this pain around their eyes when they thought that nobody was looking. It was a haunted look of wariness that meant more than words could say. Sinead caught his gaze, returning it calmly, openly, steadily. She allowed him to see the pain as it really was, not filtering it, not hesitating to show it to him.

Rhinox murmured just loud enough for her to hear, "What is it that makes your eyes look so lost?"

Smiling sadly, the warrior replied, "You'll know when all this is over. I'll tell you about my story once everything is said and done. You have but to ask."

Rhinox nodded, and they heard Miss Special crow in jubilation. "I get the right side, closest to the door!"

Skyfire grinned. "I get left, so that means that Sharpshot gets his head-on view!"

Sharpshot groaned. "I hate losing."

.o.V.o.

Dinobot heard the dark laughter just before the lights snapped on, nearly blinding him. Megatron leaned over his once-comrade, and said smoothly, "I had said that I would be back, now didn't I?"

The ex-Predacon didn't answer. Megatron dug his hand into Dinobot's lower abdomen, ripping open half-healed wounds. The gasp of pain caused the tyrant to smirk, yet his voice was still cold. "Answer me."

Dinobot's vision was starting to black out, but he hissed through the inviting velvet veil of warm darkness, "You said so."

Megatron released him unexpectedly, causing a hissed, pained whimper as his hand came free. "Deny me my answers, and there will be only more pain in store for you. Now. I believe that I'll let Rampage deal with you tonight. After all . . . you _were_ impudent towards me already. And with him working with you, you'll feel . . . all the more punishment for your crimes, yes."

"Go eat . . . your own . . . slag . . . and _die_," Dinobot hissed, glaring as best as he could at Megatron. He didn't even know where the strength to defy someone came from anymore.

Rampage towered behind the overlord, emerald optics glinting in amusement and anticipation. "Scream, Dinobot. I want to hear you scream."

The Maximal shrunk back against the table as best as he could. On the first day, he could keep the fear from showing on his face and body. On the second, he couldn't. Not even four hours into the second day, and they had broken him nearly completely with one act of torture. _One_ act of violation that completely ripped Dinobot's whole sense of being to shreds.

And it was Rampage who had done so.

"No, Primus, no! Don't let him near me again!"

Megatron's condescending smirk caused Dinobot to quiver both inside and out. The Predacon's voice was deceptively soothing. "I'll leave you two alone to . . . _resolve_ a few issues, yes? Ta-ta, Dinobot, see you tomorrow morning, bright and early!"

The door shut after his retreating back. Rampage advanced, only to reach out and graze his fingertips against Dinobot's metal-skinned arm. "Aah, you've been a pleasure to work with."

"Matrix, don't . . ."

"Aah, afraid that I have to, Dinobot! Orders _are_ orders, you simply _must_ understand."

Rampage leaned over the Maximal, hands already where they shouldn't have been. Pain flared through Dinobot in a blistering wave. His tormentor snickered as Dinobot whimpered, unable to scream anymore. "Dinobot, Dinobot, Dinobot . . . see what treachery will get you? Ooh, and I'm not done with you _yet_ . . ."

The base shook, causing Rampage to over-balance and land with his elbow upon Dinobot's sternum. The Maximal spat mech-fluid up, as Rampage's comm activated. "Megatron to Rampage! Get out there!"

Growling to himself, the crab opened the door and left, slamming it shut behind him. "What _now_?!"

The voices faded off. Dinobot trembled.

.o.V.o.

Rattrap peeked into the hallway. "Clear."

Sapphire sprinted for a few feet, European throwing knives ready to be thrown in her left hand, her right hand gripped around her sword-hilt. She looked around the next corner, then nodded. "Clear."

Sinead walked down the hall, broadsword in the scabbard upon her back, katana and wakizashi drawn and glittering in the dim lighting of the Predacon base. She was the only one with such an amount of serious, bladed weaponry/ She paused at each door, listening, then stopped at one about halfway down the hall. Sheathing both swords, she touched the door, then opened it. Rattrap was right behind her. Both saw the same thing at the same time. Crimson optics locked upon storm-blue eyes.

"Sinead?"

"Sapph, guard the door," Sinead replied, looking away, embarrassment covering shock. "Please."

Sapphire didn't look into the room, but she saw the looks upon both Sinead's and Rattrap's faces. She nodded. Sinead closed the door partially behind her as Rattrap walked up to Dinobot and started to reach out to him. Dinobot shrank back. His voice was weak, trembling . . . it was everything that Dinobot wasn't. "Don't touch me."

Sinead was careful to keep her eyes on appropriate places as she walked up to Rattrap and Dinobot. "We can't get you out if we can't touch you."

"No. Rattrap, forgive me, but please . . . don't . . . don't touch me."

Sinead immediately saw the pain in his optics. "Oh . . . oh, no . . ." She turned and kicked the first thing in sight, which happened to be an upturned metal bucket, yelling her rage. "Bloody _idiots_! Aah!" The bucket hit the wall, and landed by the pile of Dinobot's armor. "Rattrap."

"See it."

"I'll get him free."

"How?"

Still fuming too much to answer, she drew the wakizashi, careful not to let Dinobot see it, even if the sound of the blade being drawn was obvious, and popped the bond upon his right wrist off by wedging the tip into the hinge and pushing at _just so_ of an angle. "Like that, maybe?"

Rattrap nodded and went to the armor. Dinobot's hand gripped Sinead's left wrist. His face was trying to tell her something, but she couldn't read what his optics were trying to convey. Sapphire ran into the room, not even glancing at Dinobot. Instead, she hissed to Rattrap. "Rampage's coming."

Sinead swiftly pressed her palm against Dinobot's mouth, stifling an involuntary whimper. She now knew one of the culprits behind the breaking of this warrior. "Hush. We'll not let him touch you again."

Rattrap drew his pistol and crouched by the door. Sinead looked at Sapphire, a slightly-defeated look upon her face. "Maybe we should have let Starath come after all."

Sapphire nodded silently.

Rampage entered the room and saw the two humans. "What's this?" Sinead's devilish grin caused Rampage to blink at her. "Oho. You're bloodthirsty, aren't you, human?"

"Only for one thing," Sinead hissed through gritted teeth, a not-quite-sane grin upon her face.

"Oh? I wonder what that would be now, hm? Want to have your turn at the captive?"

Rattrap shot him in the knees, but Rampage still managed to bat Sinead upwards and against the ceiling as he fell. She landed upon Dinobot, but rolled off to the other side of the table quickly, glad that all three swords were locked in their sheaths. However, the broadsword scabbard across her shoulders had dug into her back, and she felt at least bruises already forming. Thankfully, nothing felt broken, which occurred to the slightly-older of the two women in the room to be very odd. Rampage could have killed her without a thought with that motion. Sinead pulled the broadsword out, hearing Sapphire fight alongside Rattrap, who was calling for reinforcements if possible. The answer from Optimus was that there wasn't time or people to spare.

Dinobot was coughing from her sudden fall onto his already-beaten chest, but Sinead had to ignore it as she vaulted over the table, pausing just long enough to shove the sword halfway to the hilt through Rampage's forehead. With a grunt, she twisted it in such a manner that his neck was put in an awkward position. Sapphire immediately took the opportunity, and with one clean swipe, severed the Predacon's head from his body. Sinead managed to get his head off of her sword, and then dumped it into one of the drawers under the table. Sapphire was trembling.

"Sinead, is he dead?"

"Don't ask questions, and don't think about it," Sinead said quickly, sheathing the broadsword while drawing the wakizashi to finish cutting Dinobot's bonds. Sapphire went to help her silently. Rattrap brought over only the armor that was needed the most, holding it as Sapphire cut the last bond. Dinobot curled on his side, but Sinead jumped onto the table, and crouched by his head. "Look, you don't want us to touch you, and I get that, but we _have_ to get you out of here somehow. Your legs look like crap."

He swallowed, and whispered, "That's not the reason why I can't walk, human."

Sinead' face flared scarlet. Her voice was soft. "I know. But you can't stay here, and we both know that. Sit up."

"I don't know if . . ."

"Then let Rattrap help you. Can't you trust him?" They couldn't afford to deliberate over anything right now.

Dinobot looked at Rattrap, then nodded slowly. "Yes . . . yes, I can trust him."

Rattrap helped his comrade sit up, while Sinead and Sapphire turned away, giving him as much privacy as they could. The shorter female was tapping Rampage's shoulder sassily. Rattrap cursed colorfully, causing Sinead to turn away from her poking of the inanimate body. "What now?"

"Choppuhface, you'd better be light enough for her t' help you walk out."

Dinobot nodded, then shivered. Rattrap popped another drawer open, and another, until he found a blanket. He draped that around Dinobot, who was still watching Sinead. She turned back around, while Rattrap helped Dinobot into only the most necessary parts of his armor.

Then the pain hit.

With a grunt, Sinead hit the buckle of the broadsword, letting it fall to the floor as she knelt. Immediately, she felt her shirt start to pull away from a sticky back. She sighed. "Oh, just what I need."

Sapphire blinked at Sinead's back. "You're really bleeding, you know."

"Deal with it," Sinead hissed. She winced, then rubbed her face in her hands. "Sapphire, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."

The other young woman picked the broadsword up to buckle it over one shoulder. "I know. I'll carry this. You help Rattrap and Dinobot."

They were watching her. She stood, trying not to move her back too much, then walked over to them, the three steps that it was. Dinobot looked away, then started to let himself slide over the edge of the table, so that he could rest his feet upon the floor. The moment he let go of the table, he collapsed. Sinead dashed closer to his face, and then covered his mouth again as he cried out. She pulled her hand away, and whispered, "We don't know how much time we have left. You _have_ to stand, Dinobot. You have to get up, and you have to help us get you out of here."

His gaze broke Sinead's heart. Her shoulders fell, and she whispered, "Please."

Nodding, swallowing his nervousness, Dinobot stood with a laborious effort. Rattrap was upon his right side, lending shoulders to lean upon. Sinead took his left side, and said, "Sapph, scout please?"

"Yeah," she whispered, turning and opening the door. They followed her out.

.o.V.o.

Optimus looked from one human to another, as they battled. Starath was beside him, panting, letting the sleeve recharge. "Blasted thing. Do you see them yet?"

The Maximal shook his head. "Not yet."

She sighed, then heard the readying hum reach the pitch it was supposed to be at. Whirling out from behind the rock, she shot three rapid-fire blasts at Inferno and crouched back down. He yelled out in anger, and left his chest open for the shot. Sharpshot smirked and reloaded his sniper rifle. Then, from his high perch, he saw three . . . four figures! He grinned, and said down to Rhinox, "There they are! Near the other side!"

Rhinox nodded, and yelled, "Optimus!"

The Maximal leader stood, yelling, "Full retreat! Move!"

Megatron stopped his minions from firing as the Maximals ran off. After a few more moments of silence, and once his enemies were mere dots, and then nothing, he speculated aloud, "And I wonder what that retreat was about, yes. They would not have left without Dinobot."

He turned and walked back into the base. "Rattrap was scrapped. I saw to that personally. He is still recovering, it seems. And those humans were under command of Primal. Or were they?" He reached the torture chamber, and paused. Surely Rampage would have started by now. Dinobot should be screaming with every breath.

He opened the door, and saw the still body of the immortal crab. Then he looked up, and saw the empty table. With a roar of rage, he crushed the sides of the doorframe.

.o.V.o.

Rattrap led them the fastest way back to the Maximal base. Dinobot was hanging on, but just barely. His voice portrayed that, as they took a brief rest. "Why did you come after me?"

Sapphire looked at Rattrap, then returned her eyes to Dinobot. She whispered, "I could never leave someone in the kind of place that you were in. Rattrap and the Maximals have the same view, and so our goals were the same."

The very rat was leaning against a tree, resting. His optics were closed, his head leaned back against the bark. "Yeah. Besides. You're no good if you're dead."

Sinead was on her side, asleep for the moment. Sapphire winced as she saw the bloodstains on her friend's shirt, but it looked to have stopped bleeding for the moment. "I hope that isn't too bad."

The Transmetal sighed, activating his optics to look at the human woman before him. "Da fact dat she's still alive, not t' mention_walkin'_, is somethin' of a miracle."

"The sword took most of the hit," Sapphire said.

Rattrap nodded, and reached over to rest his hand upon Sinead's shoulder. "Hey. No sleepin' too– Boss Monkey!"

Sinead sat up with a start, then yelped as sore parts moved and scabs reopened. She saw Optimus before her. He was watching the four of them silently for a moment, before saying, "Need help?"

The two humans shook their heads. Rattrap looked at Dinobot, who was half-asleep against a tree. "Choppuhface."

The warrior blinked slowly at Rattrap, not speaking.

"Need a lift back home?"

"Home . . ." Dinobot sighed. That meant someone would he touching him. Someone other than a human, who couldn't hurt him, or Rattrap, whom he trusted. For the moment. "No. I'll walk."

Sinead watched the warrior warily for a moment, before saying, "You sure?"

"Yes."

Optimus nodded, understanding. "Then I'll walk back with you."

Sapphire stood, then helped Sinead stand. The Maximal leader caught sight of her bloodied back and cursed silently. "What happened?"

"Rampage knocked me up into the ceiling," Sinead replied, straightening her stance. "Nothing too serious. It's stopped bleeding for the most part."

"Rattrap, you get her back to the base, _now_. She has to get that seen to." The leader snapped a look to his spy and second in command, one that said that there should have been a more detailed report of what had happened in the Predacon base when they had checked in right after leaving.

Sinead shook her head, waving a hand dismissively. "I'll be fine. I've walked this far, and we haven't far to go from what Rattrap has said."

Optimus stared at her for a moment. Who did she think she was? Another Dinobot, only human, female, and smaller? "No, I'll not tolerate that. You get back to the base before you injure yourself more."

"I told you, I'll be fine."

"Rattrap, bring her back. That's an order."

"Orders be slagged, Primal," a weak growling voice proclaimed. Optimus looked to Dinobot, who was trying to stand on his own. The tall bot held onto the tree, still holding the blanket around his shoulders tightly with one hand. "Let her stay. Let her do as she wishes."

"Dinobot, you're hardly in any position to advise me on–"

Crimson optics dimmed. He sagged against the tree again, then wobbled. Sinead and Rattrap caught him before he fell. His free hand gripped around Sinead's shoulders, as she locked her arms around his waist as far as they could go. Then he passed out completely. Optimus took Sinead's side and picked Dinobot up as gently as he could. The blanket slipped slightly, revealing part of the ex-Predacon's lacerated chest. Optimus looked from one warrior to the other. "How bad is it."

Sinead looked down. "Dunno, exactly. But he didn't even want Rattrap touching him when we found him. With what he looks like, we don't blame him."

"He needs to be seen to."

Rattrap shook his head. "He wakes up in da middle o' Rhinox examining him . . . I dunno what he'll do, except it ain't gonna be pretty."

Optimus nodded, and knew that he was going to let Rhinox know not to do anything without Dinobot's express permission. "Get back to the base as quickly as you can. He'll be in the sick bay."

.o.V.o.

Nurannoniel paced. Optimus had come in with Dinobot a half hour before, clearly stating that the wounded Maximal was not to be disturbed in any way. So the humans were in the command center, waiting silently.

The lift dropped, and all eyes were upon it. Rattrap, Sapphire, and Sinead were upon it when it returned. Nurannoniel wrapped her arms around both of them, causing an answering hug from Sapphire, and a yelp from Sinead. She turned, so that they saw her back. "I gotta get this cleaned up."

Lady Venom and Miss Special chorused different and quite strongly worded versions of "What happened?!"

Sinead explained the part about Rampage finding them, but nothing else. Sapphire added, "So where's Rhinox?"

"Sick bay with Dinobot and Optimus," Skyfire replied, watching Sinead carefully.

The girl wavered, gripped Rattrap's arm, and steadied herself. Her vision had blurred for a moment, which she knew to be a bad thing. "I think I lost a little more blood than I thought I did. Not good."

Silently, Starath carefully supported Sinead, bringing her down one of the halls. They had gotten a brief tour of the base from Silverbolt while they had been waiting. Dannn and Sharpshot looked to Sapphire. The sniper spoke first. "What _really_ happened out there?"

She sat, and accepted a cup of warm something from Miss Special. "Dinobot was tortured badly. I have a very bad feeling about it, though."

"Why?" Dannn asked.

Sapphire's gaze was mournful, and she looked down at the mug in her hands. "Because I think that this torture wasn't just physical."

.o.V.o.

Rhinox opened the door, saw Sinead, and smiled tightly, lifting her carefully to carry her to a bed. In that short moment, he felt her curl up slightly, snuggling into his arms. Nevertheless, the technician and medic had to be firm once she was sitting upon the side of the berth. "Shirt off. Now."

Starath and Sinead both stared at him.

"You do it, or I do it for you."

"No 'please'?" Sinead grumbled, folding her arms across her stomach.

He chuckled, relieved that she was at least quipping back at him, and nodded, touching her shoulder with two large fingers. "Please?"

Smiling at his gentle chuckle, Sinead took her katana and wakizashi out from her belt that went around the large shirt, then rested them upon the bed next to her. She undid the belt, carefully peeled the shirt from her back, pulled it over her head, but kept it pinned to her chest. Rhinox frowned at a strap. "What's this?"

"Oh. My bra."

"What . . . ? No, I don't want to know. It's stuck to the wound, whatever the Pit it is."

A soft groan came from where Dinobot was on his own bed. "Sinead . . . ?"

"I'm here. To your right."

He turned his head slowly, and then blinked at her. She smiled, and felt something rip away with the back of her undergarment. Wincing and yelp-grunting with pain, she straightened her back slightly more. Starath walked over to behind her, then said, "'Nead, your back looks nasty."

"Thanks. I needed to hear that. Owowow! Hey!"

Starath tugged on the strands of hair again, then said, "You're really grouchy when you lose blood and are running on four hours of sleep, you know that?"

"Thanks for your enlightenment," Sinead replied sarcastically. "Any other news?"

Starath laughed and leaned against the just-above-table height medical bed. "Nah, I'm all out. But we're never letting _you_ take Graveyard shift for watch again. That's a promise. You're plain evil."

Sinead smiled and released one arm from holding the shirt to her chest to ruffle Starath's hair clumsily. Noticing this, she raised her hand to her face, and saw it shaking worse than she would have thought. A small "oh," escaped her before everything went black.

.o.V.o.

Lady Venom sighed. "So she collapsed."

"Right."

"Because of blood loss."

"Correct again."

"And she didn't let herself be brought back to the base, why?"

Rattrap shrugged. "She's stubborn, is my best guess."

Eight humans just blinked at him, and a collective "Duh" was aimed at the bot. Miss Special looked away first. "Right. So. Where is she, again?"

Silverbolt smiled, happy to be giving them information about their wounded friend. "In the sick bay, and completely out to the world."

"Rhinox drugged her up?"

"Nah, she didn't need it," Rattrap said, grinning. "But I wouldn't get on her case about goin' beyond 'er limits. She knew what she was doin', an' she knew that she'd end up payin' for it later."

"But she didn't expect to faint in front of Dinobot," Rhinox's chuckling voice added in as he walked into the small meeting in the command center. "He nearly went berserker on me, which is normal. She helped save him, and to see her so weak afterwards didn't bode well for his mental state."

Starath grinned. "I had to tell him that she was fine. It took him almost ten minutes to calm down enough to hear what I was saying."

Miss Special shook her head, smirking. "Raptors have thick skulls."

"Sinead's a prime example, then!" Dannn piped up, causing the authors to chuckle. Rattrap looked up at his large, green friend, exchanging the look of comprehension dawning. So that girl in there had a similar kind of mentality as Dinobot.

Rhinox indicated the second hall. "Your quarters are set. Guys are in one room, girls are in the room across the hall from them. Cheetor will show you where you'll be staying." They stood, and he blinked. "Oh. And don't worry about Sinead, she's sleeping fine. I don't expect her to be up before noon tomorrow at the very earliest, and so I don't want you peeking in just to make sure that she's doin' okay. Believe me, she is. I'll be keeping a watch over those two."

They nodded and left. Rhinox smiled after their backs, then turned on a small screen, watching as the two wounded slept.


	2. Making Connections

Stolen Virtue  
By: Sinead

_**Author's Note:**__ Yes, Dinobot is going to be very OOC through this, but keep in mind that when someone goes through a severe trauma such as torture, they are changed and don't react to things the same way. He will get more and more IC as the story goes on._

Part Two: Making Connections

.o.V.o.

Nurannoniel sat up straight in bed sometime during the night. She hugged the blankets close to her chest, looking around the room. All the other girls were asleep. Wrapping the blanket around her shoulders, she crept from the room to walk down to the command center. One bot was there, watching the monitors. He turned, and smiled kindly at the midnight wanderer. "Nurannoniel. Is something wrong?"

She shrugged, then walked closer. "Dunno. I just woke up suddenly."

Optimus' smile stayed upon his face, but changed slightly. "I've had too many times that I've woken up like that. Did you want to talk?"

"Yeah, I'd like that."

She sat upon a seat that he pulled up for her, and asked, "How's Dinobot?"

Optimus pointed to a small screen in the lower-right corner of one screen. Nurannoniel blinked at it, then sighed. "He really took all the hits, didn't he."

"More than he'll say. I couldn't get anything out of him upon what happened to him, other than the obvious fact that he had been cut. He just wouldn't open up to me."

"Sinead has a guess, I think."

Making a small noise of affirmation, Optimus nodded. "That much was indicated, but she passed out before I could ask her."

Both went silent, but Nurannoniel broke it again, by asking, "Is Sinead all right?"

Optimus panned the camera's view to the left, to catch the sleeping author. She was on her stomach, breathing deeply. Her arms had come up under the pillow somehow, so that it was propped up a bit higher. Her back was a swath of white bandages.

Optimus looked at the girl next to him. "Nurannoniel . . ."

"Nurann, please. I can tell that you're tripping over my name."

The leader smiled. How did she know that? "Nurann, then. What's caused you to all have this look of sadness around your faces? I see it when you think people aren't looking. Rhinox noticed this as well."

For a long moment, the author said nothing. Finally, however, she said, "We all have different pasts, different tragedies that happen to us along life's path. We've had more rough patches on that road than I think a lot of other people will ever have to go through in a lifetime. I don't really feel like talking about it right now."

Optimus nodded, and rested his hand upon her shoulder, a kind and warm smile upon his face. "I understand."

.o.V.o.

It was morning. Rattrap was walking past the doors that belonged to the humans, only to stop suddenly. Small arms were latched around his chest, and someone rested their face against his back. He looked over his shoulder, then smiled. "Sapphire."

No response. He twisted carefully, and then started to guide her back to her room. She shook her head, then yawned. "What?"

"You're asleep."

"Nah . . . just tired. Waking up."

"Really."

"And I wanted to give you a cuddle. You looked like you needed it."

The Maximal looked down at the floor, not wanting to make eye-contact with the girl. It hurt to look into her eyes. She understood him better than he had first thought. "Dinobot's gonna take a turn f'r th' worse if we don't head it off."

Sapphire frowned, reaching for Rattrap's face. His optics caught her eyes, and held. She smiled as reassuringly as she could, then whispered, "What happened?"

"His Spark's pulse-rate staggered twice last night. It'll get worse today."

"How do you know?"

"I've seen it before. Rhinox was a medic in war zones. I was a spy, _an'_ young, so I ended up getting caught half o' th' time an' shot. I know how things like Spark-deterioration happen." He sighed. "And unless we help 'im, it'll happen to Dino-butt."

"How do we fix this?" Starath asked, opening the girls' door behind Sapphire. She always seemed to be listening out for her friends.

Rattrap let his gaze fall. "I don't think dat he wants it fixed."

.o.V.o.

Dinobot stared at the ceiling, and yet, he was looking _past_it. Rhinox's voice pulled him back into the here and now. "Dinobot, you know what has to be done."

The sword's-bot shook his head, and looked away again. Rustling to his right sounded, soon followed by a yawn. "Crap, what happened?"

"You passed out," Rhinox replied, cocking an optic ridge at her. "Almost lost your shirt in the process. It's drying right now. We had to soak it so that the bloodstains would come out. They did."

Sinead glared at the Maximal. "Whoo-hoo. Bloodstains. I could honestly care less about them right now. Could I at _least_ have a sheet to cover what else of me should be covered?"

"Ah, right. Sorry." But he smiled anyway, glad that she was awake and coherent. He didn't understand humans and their needs for modesty, but he would still accommodate them. Even if they were being irritable.

Sinead shook her head and rested it back upon her arms. "I'm snappish, and _I'm_ the one who should be sorry. If I say anything to offend you, please let me know."

Rhinox chuckled, spreading a blanket over the girl. "You've lost blood and pushed yourself beyond what you knew that you were able to do. You're doing fine for someone who has just done that."

"It was a stupid mistake, but thank you."

Dinobot listened to the interaction, then said, "I've known worse mistakes to be made."

Sinead pulled the blanket tight around her as she sat up. "You're awake."

The technician smiled. "I'll go tell Optimus that you're both up. And if your shirt is dry, Sinead, I'll bring it back to you."

"What about . . . uh . . . anything else?"

"That should be dry by now. Dare I ask its purpose?"

"No."

He half-smiled, standing from where he had been sitting upon a rolling stool. "Didn't think so. Be back soon."

The door slid shut. Silence. Sinead slid off of the berth she had been placed upon, and walked over to stand by the side of Dinobot's bed, kicking a small, upturned crate over so that she would be able to see him a bit more clearly. "Are you okay?"

Dinobot's optics rolled up to hers. His gaze was enough. She started to reach out, but pulled her hand back, glancing away, remembering that Dinobot didn't want to be touched. A small noise caused her to look back at the bot. And she reached out again, to rest only the tips of her fingers along his cheek. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"I . . . I don't think I can."

"Too painful?"

"Yeah."

She paused, then moved her fingers so that they were hovering just above a nasty gash upon his shoulder that had a trickle of energon still leaking from it. "Why haven't you let Rhinox see to you?"

"I don't want to be touched."

"Yet you let me touch your face."

"You're human. Not Cybertronian."

Sinead blinked, then rested the full length of her hand upon his face. "I'm human, but I'm also a warrior, like you. Why won't you let them touch you?"

Dinobot cast his optics away from her eyes. "I don't want to be hurt by them, even if it's unintentional."

"What about Rattrap?"

"He's . . . he'd never hurt me."

"You need to be seen to, Dinobot. You have to let Rhinox help you."

Dinobot sat up, disregarding the blankets falling to his thighs and the pain in his torso from the wounds. "I will not let him, _any_ of them, touch me! I do not have a choice, Sinead! I just don't . . . I just don't want to feel Cybertronian hands upon me ever again."

Sinead locked her eyes upon his optics. "Your blankets aren't exactly lending you modesty. And . . . uh . . . yeah. Mind pulling them up again?"

Dinobot clutched at the blankets, doing as she asked, then looked down first. "My apologies. I didn't remember that most humans are more modest than Cybertronians."

Laughing, the author shook her head. "I'm even more modest than most humans I know."

Dinobot watched her, then winced, and sighed. The door opened, and Rhinox walked in. "Here, Sinead."

She took the two items and sat on her bed, facing away from the Maximals, draping the blanket a little more loosely over her shoulders. She managed to get the shirt over her head without showing skin, but left the undergarment off since it would rub against her wounds. She stopped, then asked, "Did you need to change the dressings?"

"Already did, earlier."

"What time is it?"

Rhinox blinked. "Almost two-PM in your way of telling time."

She pulled the shirt on completely, and turned to look at Rhinox. "When did I pass out?"

"Five-PM yesterday."

"Wow."

"You needed the sleep." He turned to look at the still-sitting-up Dinobot. "Now, you. What in the Matrix are you thinking?!"

Dinobot looked away, and muttered something. Rhinox's shoulders fell, and he looked to Sinead. She shrugged, and the large Maximal growled out, "Fine, Dinobot. Fine. Sinead, stay here with him. I'll tell your friends that you're up."

"I'll meet them in the command center. But could you send Rattrap here? I have to ask him something."

Rhinox nodded once, and left the room. The human sat on the edge of her bed. "You're _really_ being cooperative, you know."

Dinobot looked up at her, optics haunted. "You don't understand."

"No, Dinobot, I don't, even though I'm trying to. But you have to get your wounds seen to by either Rhinox or a CR chamber." She stood, and saw her Japanese swords resting against a wall. She drew the katana and then pulled an oiled rag out of a pouch on the scabbard to rub at the blade.

"I couldn't stand seeing them come near me, Sinead. I couldn't bear to watch them."

She stopped, and slowly looked at him. "The Predacons made you watch yourself being . . . being tortured?"

Dinobot didn't look at her as he replied softly. "And while worse was being done."

With a metallic hiss, the sword was sheathed. Sinead placed it back next to the wakizashi, putting the rag away, and tying a cord around both scabbards to hold them together. "You should lie back down before Rattrap gets in here. He won't be happy to see you acting is if you're not hurt when you obviously _are_."

Sighing in resignation, Dinobot again did as he was asked to. Sinead took her blanket off of her bed and with a flick of her wrists, spread it nearly completely evenly over the tortured Maximal. She straightened it around his feet, then walked back up by his shoulders, looking down at him gently.

"Why did you do that?"

"Comfort, if nothing else," Sinead replied softly.

The door opened, and Rattrap was about to walk in, when Sinead turned and walked towards him. She pushed him back out into the hall, and said near-silently, "Don't say _anything_ about him getting repaired. I'm working on that with him."

"So you're breakin' though?"

"Nearly. He's set a hefty wall up between himself and his emotions and his memories. And he doesn't trust Cybertronians right now. I understand that, after what he's been through. I'm not surprised in the least."

"Yeah, neither 'm I, kiddo. Dat it?"

"Should be. And be nice?"

Rattrap nodded and walked back into the room. Sinead waved to Dinobot once, before setting off to the command center. Sharpshot was the first to see her, and he vaulted over the tri-dimensional map to hug her shoulders warmly, laughing.

She squeezed his ribcage hard enough to convince him to let go while the others crowded around her. "I've been missed?"

"Shut up!" Miss Special said, lightly punching Sinead's shoulder. "We've been agonizing over how bad your back was."

"Not too bad," Starath piped up from the back. "I saw it!"

"Yeah, you did," Rhinox grumbled. "Sinead, I want you to take it easy until I say that you're well enough. And eat a lot."

"I will!"

"Good."

The authors hustled her outside. Sapphire handed Sinead the broadsword. "Didn't open it."

"Great. Nearly twenty-four hours for mech-fluid to cake on it. Mmm, yummy."

"Hey, I had to clean mine _yesterday_! That had to have been twice as gross!"

Sinead laughed, and held the scabbarded sword in one hand as they sat in the sunlight. "So what's happened so far?"

"Sapphire and Rattrap have hooked up!" Dannn said, grinning.

The South African was blushing. "Shut up! We have not! We just are able to spend time around each other without having to say too much."

Nurannoniel raised her hand, blushing as brightly as Sapphire. "Before anyone says it, yes, me and Optimus have been talking a lot."

"Oh? And about what?" Lady Venom asked, looking Nurannoniel over with a lightly teasing but shrewd look upon her face.

Nurannoniel stuck her tongue out at Lady Venom. "Stuff."

"Touchie, touchie."

Skyfire grinned. "I flew. And consequently fell off of Silverbolt's back."

Sinead laughed, as Starath elaborated upon how _exactly_ it had happened. Then Lady Venom told about how she had caught Sapphire and Rattrap having a "close" moment. Sapphire hid her face in her hands, and the attention was shifted off of Sinead. She listened to their talking, suddenly thankful that she had friends like these. They were kind and gentle, but when need arose they were some of the fiercest and most ruthless warriors she had ever come up against. What was better was that they acted like a team, and _lived_ like a team. The only quarrels had been about whose turn it was to hunt, or who had the privileges of taking point or rear-guard while traveling.

It was great to be home.

.o.V.o.

Late that night, Optimus pulled Sinead aside from watching a strategy game between Lady Venom and Silverbolt. "Get to the sickbay."

She nodded, and left quietly, her dark clothing melding into the shadows of the night-time in the hallways. Rattrap and Sapphire shared a glance, then followed her, managing not to be seen by Optimus.

Rhinox was with Dinobot, who was wincing, trembling. Sinead closed the door behind her, but it didn't lock. She walked over to Dinobot's side, saying nothing. His optics activated, but they were dim. Panting, he reached out to grab her right arm, and pull her close to his face. She rested her left hand upon his bed for balance, placing her right against his cheek. "Tell me."

"Hurts . . ."

"Where, Dinobot. Tell me where."

"Everywhere."

She braced her legs against the side of the bed so that she could hold Dinobot's head in both of her hands. "Tell me what your optics can't say."

He swallowed, and whispered. "Rhinox has to . . ."

Sinead nodded. "The door didn't close fully. Let me do that, so that you're not snuck up on. Okay?"

He released her arm, and she walked back to the door. Sapphire moved out of line-of-sight of the crack, pressing herself up against the wall. Sinead shoved the door into place, and heard it click into place. She walked back to sit on the side of Dinobot's bed, careful not to sit on the sheets. "What do you want me do to?"

His face said it all. She leaned over him and cradled the warrior's head against her shoulder softly. His hands went up to hold her arms, as Rhinox whispered, "Forgive me if it hurts."

"By Primus, get it over with," Dinobot whimpered, his voice muffled by fabric and human.

.o.V.o.

Finally, Rhinox pulled the sheets back up around the wounded Maximal. He had to repair a few wounds, none of which were pretty. The rest . . . they would heal, but they would scar without being attended to. He sighed, and looked at the human still holding onto Dinobot. His hands were still clasped around her, but careful of her own wounded back. Sinead looked back at Rhinox. During the time it had taken him to start just the examination, she had pulled her legs up onto the bed. She sighed. "He passed out."

"Do you want me to help you get out of his hold?"

"No. He needs as much comfort as he'll accept. Even then, some that he can't."

Rhinox nodded, and said, "See if he'll let you deal with that cut on his shoulder, or anything else. I repaired the worst of the cuts, with the exception of that one. You should be fine."

Sinead nodded, and the technician left without another word. Once his footsteps were nearly inaudible, she pulled away from Dinobot slightly, and felt the air chill the spots of wet upon her shoulder. She used her sleeve to dry up the rest of his tears from his face before leaning back over him and kissing his forehead. He shivered in his sleep, and Sinead curled up with her back to him, falling asleep easily.

.o.V.o.

Rattrap opened the door of the sickbay early the next morning to see Sinead unconscious. Dinobot was also asleep, right arm curled around Sinead, the left resting lightly upon his chest. Sapphire looked around Rattrap . . . only to smile sadly. "They really are quite a pair."

"Well, sure, but . . . man oh man, she's got a handful, if . . ."

"Yeah, you explained that to me. Do you think that he'll ask her?"

Rattrap shrugged, then picked up a discarded blanket to spread over both Sinead and Dinobot, even though Sinead was under one already. "Dunno."

Starath peeked her head in. "Where were you two?"

Rattrap sighed. "Just makin' sure dat _dose_ two were doin' okay."

"For the whole night?"

Sapphire nodded, face completely serious. "Almost. We were taking turns sitting outside the door, making sure that they would sleep the night through."

Starath's face fell from its jovial expression. "So then he let Rhinox look at him."

Sinead's voice called out sleepily, "Yes, and if I were completely awake, Rattrap and Sapphire, I'd come after you two with a stick. You shoulda gotten sleep."

"We wake you up?" Rattrap asked.

"Yeah. You put another blanket over me." She opened her eyes, and yawned. "He's fine, and slept without dreaming, as far as I can tell."

Rattrap nodded. "Right. We'll get out, let you wake up normally."

"Thanks."

Starath closed the door after they left, and saw Nurannoniel standing in the hall, with the rest of the authors. "Uhh . . ."

Skyfire shook his head. "How's Dinobot?"

"Dunno. Better, I'm guessing."

"Hopefully."

"And what _exactly_ are you doing outside the sickbay?" Optimus' voice asked. They all spun to face the leader. He shooed them off, telling them that they'll be able to talk with Dinobot later, when the ex-Predacon felt like it. He stood and watched them with a smile, as they obediently walked off, listening as they decided to go and hunt. Chuckling, he opened the door to walk in on Sinead leaning over Dinobot's face, eyes locked upon optics. Both looked at him, surprised. He smiled. "Sinead, your bloodthirsty friends are going hunting for deer."

She stumbled off of the berth to scamper ungracefully out of the medbay and called after them, "Bring some back for me, you party-poopers!"

Laughter bubbled up from the end of the hallway as the warrior walked back into the room with a spring in her step. "Had to. Sorry."

Optimus shook his head, still smiling, and sat on her bed. "How are you feeling, Dinobot?"

"Don't ask," the bot grumbled, moving his head out from under a shaft of light.

Sinead chuckled quietly, and fixed the thick sheet hanging in front of the window so that the light didn't land upon the bed. The deep blue color of the sheet gave the room a comforting, dusky feeling. She sat beside Dinobot's side, facing Optimus. "What did you come here for?"

"Rhinox told me that you'll probably be helping repair Dinobot, to train in Cybertronian first aid."

"Will he be in the room?" Dinobot asked quietly.

Optimus' gaze caught Dinobot's, and held for a long minute, seeing only what Dinobot let him see. It was only a portion of what he knew Dinobot was really feeling. He sighed. "I don't know. You take that up with him, Sinead. But there was one other thing, Dinobot, that he told me."

Dinobot frowned slightly, glossy black hair slipping over one optic. He shook it free, and snorted. "So what the Pit did he say?"

"Your Spark skipped three times last night. You know that it skipped twice the night before."

Sinead looked from Dinobot's shocked face, to Optimus' slightly more calm face. But both were holding worry. "What does that mean?"

"I'll . . . I'll tell you later," Dinobot replied, tearing his optics from his leader's, and focusing them upon the human. "On my honor." He snarled, and glared up at the ceiling. "Or on whatever's _left_ of my honor."

Optimus winced, stood, and then walked to the door. "I'll be back in a little while to give Sinead a break."

Dinobot said nothing as Optimus left the room. Sinead looked at Dinobot, then rested her hand within his. He curled his fingers around hers lightly, but didn't look at her. "A Spark skipping is like a heart murmur would be to a human. But a skip usually happens only_once_ a day to those who have it. It's a small deformity of sorts, but one that a Cybertronian can live through their life with."

"But what does three in one night mean?"

"Considering that my own has never skipped once? It means that Spark deterioration is starting to set in. It's the result of fairly serious wounds or the stress of intense torture. Irreversible and fatal."

"What?" Sinead whispered, eyes starting to water upon their own account.

Dinobot looked at her, and then sighed, and wiped a tear away gently. "Fatal, unless I find someone who would help me."

"Tell me what to do."

"Sinead, the process _itself_ is irreversible. You don't know what you are saying."

"I don't care! You have to live." She rubbed at her eyes with the back of her free hand. "We didn't save you just to do our good deed for the day. We saved you because we wanted you to live."

Dinobot sighed, and looked away. "I don't deserve to."

"Don't say that. _Every_thing deserves to live."

He still didn't look at her, but he whispered, "The process is called Bonding."

.o.V.o.

"Bonding?" Sapphire asked Rattrap, as they walked through the woods. Their job was to scare the deer towards the hunters. "Does that mean what I think it does?"

"Yep. It's like marriage, but in Cybertronians it goes much deeper." He saw a deer and pointed at it. It ran towards the hunters.

Sapphire nodded, and asked, "How's it done?"

"Literally, the Spark kinda splits its weakest part off, and gives it t' deir partner, whose Spark is doin' da same thing. The Sparks absorb the split piece in place of what it had given away. Symbolic, since a married pair 're supposed t' basically make up for what da other person lacks."

"So Sinead would have to care for Dinobot almost continually."

"Sapph, can't you see?" Rattrap whispered. "She basically already is."

Silence grew between them, but Sapphire asked, "On Cybertron . . . is there any such thing as divorce?"

Rattrap smiled kindly. "Nah. Sure, da couples might get mad at each other, an' dey might live separately for a month or so, but dey can't leave each other, an' dey can't cheat on each other. Somethin' inside o' dem kinda repulses at da thought of spendin' time with someone other den 'ya spouse. So dey get back together, an' work deir difference out." He shrugged. "Doesn't happen more'n, maybe . . . twice in a marriage. People learn ta stop bein' so closed-minded."

Sapphire smiled, and asked, "How do you know all this?"

Rattrap grinned. "Oh. Ah . . . best pal o' mine got married, an' since I was involved with a girl at da time, I asked him what happened."

"Oh."

Rattrap stopped, and Sapphire turned to look at him. His optics were worried. "But I forgot one thin'."

"What? What is it?"

"Each o' da guy an' da girl hafta let each other see dier true emotions an' deir true self before dey can Bond."

Sapphire's shoulders fell with a soft groan. Sinead herself hid all her emotions as well as the best of them, or at least didn't say anything about her feelings. And she doubted that Dinobot was going to be any better. "Oh, _great_."

They heard the sound of a crossbow being discharged.

.o.V.o.

Sinead blinked. "So that's it?"

Dinobot looked at her in exasperation. "What the Pit do you mean, 'that's it'?! You don't have a Spark, Sinead. You're _human_."

"I don't see any other Cybertronian girls that you'd hook up with, other than Blackarachnia. And Airazor's abducted by aliens."

"She and _Tigatron_ were bonded!"

Sinead sighed in frustration. "So I didn't know! You didn't tell me, and neither did anyone else!"

Dinobot glared at her from under black hair. She pushed it back from his face. "What happened to your helmet? Didn't you bring it back with you?"

He nodded, and indicated the table on the other side of his bed. "I was getting a headache." He snorted. "And I'm supposed to be angry at you!"

Sinead smiled and kissed his forehead. "I know."

Caught completely off-guard by the action, Dinobot fell into silence, just staring at Sinead. Then he cast his gaze to his right, trying not to let her see his pain. The human, however, did.

She turned his head back to see her. "Dinobot, tell me what happened to you."

"I can't!"

"No, you _won't_. There's a difference. Now, I have a suspicion about what they did to you. You've hinted at it as well, but you have to _admit_ it. You have to say it out loud before you can start to heal again, Dinobot, and I don't mean just having your body heal. I mean your mind and soul healing."

The growl deep in Dinobot's throat became words. "I cannot say it, human."

She sighed, and continued brushing his hair away from his face softly. He went on. "It hurts too much to say it. So I can't."

"Then you'll die."

"But I don't want to!" Dinobot burst out, unable to keep it in. He started shaking with sobs, but couldn't let them out completely. The Predacons had done to him the worst thing possible that could be done, and had laughed at him as they broke his spirit, his honor.

Sinead moved up on Dinobot's right side, pulling his head to her, holding him as the wall between his mind and his emotions started to crack. "Please, Dinobot, for your sake."

His head shook back and forth across her shoulder.

She rested her face against the top of his head, and whispered, "I'm here to listen, Dinobot, but you have to talk to me."

"Please, don't make me say it . . ."

"Dinobot, we both know what you have to say."

"Sinead, no . . ."

"I'll not ask you to say anything else to me for the rest of the day. Just tell me what happened to you. Just tell me what they did."

"Oh, Primus, why?" he wept out.

"Dinobot, please."

"I don't want to say it, Sinead! I don't!"

"And I know that."

He clutched at her, holding her slightly closer. She rested her cheek against the top of his head. "I'll even leave you be, if you want me to. But you have to say it, Dinobot. You have to."

His voice was barely even a whisper, so low that Sinead almost missed it. But as she heard his voice, she knew that he was not lying. "Matrix . . . they raped me."

Sinead held him tighter, and then said, "I'll go, if you want me to leave."

His head shook again, and she slid carefully so that she was on her left side, and Dinobot's face was buried in her shoulder and part of her chest. His crying was silent, but after a half-hour she felt the sobs start to space out. Deep breaths were starting to ease their way in through the body-wracking sobs. Finally, he was breathing normally, sound asleep. There was a knock upon the door. Rhinox stood there as it was opened. Sinead smiled. "He's completely out."

"I saw the wounds. I knew what they did."

"I really should kill them for what they did to his _mind_," Sinead hissed, unable to look at Rhinox.

"I know. Matrix, I feel the same way."

"Have you said anything?"

"I was going to ask him."

"No, let me. He might think that you don't know."

Rhinox shrugged. "You're really taking your looking after him to great depths. I thought that you'd just give up after the first day, with him being as difficult as he is."

"I hate giving up," Sinead grumbled.

"Yeah, I can see that." He smiled at the back of her head, then said in a soft tone, "Get your lazy butt off of the bed. I have to change those bandages."

Sinead smiled, chuckling. "Yeah, fine. You have to have everything_your_ way, don't you."

"I'm a medic. Of _course_. Haven't you done your research on Ratchet? Medics always get their own way in the medical ward! Now move, before I start picking up a few of his other habits!"

Chuckling, she went to her own bed, replying, "Somehow, I don't think that I'd take to getting wrenches thrown at me as well as the Lambo Twins had."

"Oh, I'll find something. Trust me."

"Trust you? After this conversation?"


	3. Retribution

Stolen Virtue  
By: Sinead

Part Three: Retribution

.o.V.o.

Rampage was glaring at his leader. "There are _two_ more humans than you just said!"

"Hmph. I don't see how you got that."

"And Rattrap was out of the CR chamber."

The tyrant slumped a slight bit more in his chair, thinking. If Rampage was telling the truth, then there was a larger problem than he had first thought. Seven humans with long-range weaponry was simple to take care of. Even if those humans knew a little close combat techniques, as one had demonstrated upon Quickstrike, then that wasn't too much to handle.

But if there were two humans with extensive knowledge of breaking and entering, stealth, and close combat sword techniques, then that was an issue. They wouldn't be able to be tracked as easily as a Cybertronian would be, and they wouldn't make noise. They were perfect assassins.

"Ah, Rampage . . . do you think that they would be able to be convinced to join our forces?" Megatron asked quickly.

The crab snorted, shifting from one side to the other uneasily. "Yeah,_sure_. They only hacked my head off to rescue Dinobot. I'm surprised that they moved that quickly. Usually humans are slow in comparison to Cybertronians. These two _almost_ matched my speed. And I had been slow in retaliating to one of them. I'll not make that mistake again."

"Hmph. You most certainly will _not_, my dear crab, no." Megatron tapped upon the arm of his chair, then asked, "So you are certain that there are two more humans?"

"One with short red-brown hair and blue eyes, the other with long brown hair and brown eyes. Both know how to use swords individually and as a team, or so it seemed by how they dealt with me."

Mulling this over, he called Blackarachnia to the room. Once there, Megatron ordered, "Go to the Maximal base and spy for me, yes. I want to know how many humans are there, as well as what Maximals are functional."

"Gee, thanks. Like I want to get blasted by Sentinel? I don't think so," she snapped.

With a growl, Megatron grabbed her arm and pulled her close to his face. "Do it now, or I'll give you to Rampage. He's bored. Mind you, I've seen him when he's like this, and he gets . . . creative, shall we say, yes."

Blackarachnia looked at the monstrous Predacon, and then shrugged. "So I'll go."

"Stay there until you see _everyone_ who is functional. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," she hissed.

Releasing her, Megatron said, "Report to me every megacycle. Now get out."

Rampage watched her hungrily as she left, then snickered once the door was closed. "Will you let me play?"

"No. Not until she's fulfilled her purposes."

"Sometimes I wonder why I agreed I'd cooperate with you," Rampage muttered just loud enough to hear.

Megatron held up the half of Rampage's Spark that he had stolen. "Because you do not wish for this to be employed. Now, _you_ are to go up to the northern borders and scout. No complaining, and stay out of Maximal territory. Can't have them panicking, no."

Rampage left with one final, baleful glare.

.o.V.o.

Miss Special was watching the spider advance upon the base. Looking down through the hatch on the top of the command center, she said, "We have pest problems."

Cheetor and Rhinox looked up at her. The younger both blinked. "What?"

"Blackarachnia's making herself noticeable. Should I ask her why?"

Sharpshot joined her on the roof, and sighted the spider. He pulled the trigger, sending a shell mere inches in front of her. Miss Sapphire bellowed out, "What do you want, spider!"

Blackarachnia transformed, and walked closer. "Nothing. _Megs_ wants me to see how many of you there are."

"None of your business. Go away."

"Kinda can't. Orders."

"Tell him to screw off."

"Oh, he does."

Sharpshot made a sound of disgust, then replied, "We don't need to know about his personal life, thanks. Or _yours_, for that matter."

"Aaw," she teased nastily. "Look, tell me how many humans there are, how many functional Maximals, and I'll tell you what happened to Dinobot."

Sharpshot snorted. "I don't think so."

Grabbing Miss Special's arm, he jumped back into the base. They were caught by Silverbolt and Optimus, while Sentinel was activated by Rattrap. Dannn shook his head. "Some people are just gross."

"No kidding," Miss Special grumbled. "Hey, is Sinead awake yet?"

Rhinox walked into the room. "Yeah. I have to find more bandages for her back."

"Think I can talk to her?"

"It's all up to her."

She walked off down the halls and knocked upon the sickbay door. "'Nead?"

"Come in!"

Miss Special did, then closed the door behind her softly, seeing Dinobot asleep on his side. Sinead was on her stomach, clutching the sheets to her chest. Miss Special whistled at the look of the other author's back. "Wow. Looks painful."

"Yeah, kinda is, sometimes. Look, neither Starath or Rhinox will tell me straight out: How bad is it?"

"Not too bad, but it's mainly bruising and swellings. Then there's two nasty cuts that have to be where the side of the scabbard dug into your back. But really, it looks horrible. The bruises are already yellowing, though."

"So it looks worse than it feels. Good. At least is isn't something small that feels like something big." She blinked. "What is it? You look worried."

Miss Special sat on a stool closer to Sinead than to Dinobot. "Blackarachnia was here."

A startled snort came from behind her, and she blinked at Dinobot. "Sorry. She was outside. Sentinel took care of her. Go back to sleep."

"Who the Pit are _you_?" he growled, optics half-way crimson with weariness.

"Miss Special. Pyromaniac at your service!" she replied, winking jauntily. She looked back at Sinead. "Yeah, she was wondering how many of us there were, and who's up and running around for the Maximals. Thought that she'd bribe us with information, too."

"Ick. Spiders are gross and nasty, and they can all die," Sinead said.

"Oh, you have no idea about her. She's worse than we had first thought."

Sinead nodded, and Rhinox came back in. He nodded to Dinobot, then said, "I have a solution that I have to put on your back. It'll sting."

"It didn't before," Sinead replied.

"You were unconscious."

"Ooh. That makes sense."

He chuckled, and Miss Special stayed to chat while Sinead was getting her back cleaned up before the ointment was put on. All of a sudden, the door slammed open and shut, admitting Dannn and Skyfire, who were both grinning foolishly. There was a yell from the hall, and Miss Special blinked at them. "What did you two goons get up to _now_?"

"Uh, Nurann, Starath, Lady V, Silverbolt and Optimus want to kill us." Dannn replied.

"What for?" Sinead asked, carefully looking over her shoulder. The door was flung open again, and Optimus loomed over the two boys, glaring blackly at them. Sinead blinked. "Oh. Well, now I really don't want to know."

"Me neither," Miss Special added quietly.

Sapphire squeezed in and blinked at Sinead. "Can I help?"

Rhinox gave the ointment to Sapphire, saying, "You'd do better anyway. Besides. Looks like I'm needed. Will you boys move?!"

After everyone was gone, Sapphire snickered. "Oh, those two are so dead. They were teasing Nurann and Optimus something horrible, when Lady Venom decided to stand up for them, along with Silverbolt. _They_ were soon teased about being a couple, even though they most certainly _aren't_, and Dannn and Skyfire were suddenly a wanted parcel!"

"Why is Starath angry, though?"

"Oh, she was listening in. So was I, but I think that it's too funny to get that angry about."

Dinobot sighed, and rolled over to face away from the three girls. Sinead laughed. "Are we boring you with our girl-talk?"

"Yes. Shut up."

Miss Special shook her head, as Sapphire started to put the salve upon Sinead's back. When it was rubbed into one of the small cuts, she yelped. Dinobot glared over his shoulder at Sapphire angrily. The girl grinned sheepishly. "Don't kill me?"

"Ouch! That really stung!"

Dinobot's gaze shifted uncertainly, seeing Sinead start to laugh. "Sorry! Ooh, get it over with?"

Sapphire laughed, easing the tension in the air further. "Try not to scream at me?"

"I'll bite my pillow, how's that?"

Miss Special laughed.

.o.V.o.

Nurannoniel sighed. Starath was sitting next to her upon the roof. "What's wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, I dunno. It's just that every time I turn around, Optimus is watching me. I can feel that he wants to tell me something, but I can't really figure it out at all."

Starath sighed. "I wish that we were in a different universe of the Beast Wars."

"Why?"

"The Megatron of this one has a warped mind. And I mean as if it were corrupted by something other than commanding and lusts for power."

"You know what he did to Dinobot."

Starath looked at Nurannoniel. "Yeah. I figured it out when I saw Sinead."

"You read faces well."

"Mm-hm. She hid it well, but she was really distressed about what had been done to the raptor."

"Why haven't you said anything?"

"He might not want it shared. Cheetor . . . listen, Nurann. Cheetor and Silverbolt are too naive to hear the truth. They're still far too innocent to see what everyone else can. Sinead, Dinobot, Rhinox and a few others are protecting them."

"Do you think that the other authors know?"

"Sapphire, for sure, and I think so. I mean, with us having to survive on hunting for, what, ten days now? We've had to learn how to be really observant with everything that we are."

Nurannoniel nodded, and looked up at the stars starting to reveal themselves. "So what aren't you telling me?"

"That Optimus is watching you more times than you catch him watching you. And I see the look on his face that says something I can't put into words."

"Male lust?"

"Hah! Him? Nah. It's something like love, only . . . _more_, I guess." She smiled. "I caught Dinobot looking at Sinead that way, and I saw Rattrap watching Sapphire like that."

"But you, Lady Venom, Miss Special, Dannn, Skyfire, and Sharpshot don't have anyone in this universe," Nurannoniel replied mournfully.

Starath shrugged. "I'd like a Megatron I can annoy without getting killed afterwards. I'll wait for him to walk . . . uh-oh."

"What 'uh-oh'?" Nurannoniel asked, looking over the savannah. "Uh-oh."

They scrambled inside. "Predacons!"

Rhinox automatically set the defense grid up, and waited. Optimus and Rattrap ran into the room, each looking over Rhinox's shoulders at the screen in front of him. Rattrap frowned. "I gotta talk to Dinobot. Somethin's not right 'bout dis."

Before Optimus could turn and ask Rattrap what he meant, the rodent was gone. Nurann looked to Starath. "What was that about?"

She shrugged. "Dunno."

.o.V.o.

The door opened on the sickbay. The three humans and Dinobot all looked at Rattrap. He looked at Dinobot only. "You heard Sentinel powerin' up?"

"Yes."

"All da Preds are here. I saw Megs closely. He doesn't have dat scar."

Dinobot sat up, blinking. "What?! I gave that to him _months_ ago!"

"An' Rampage don't have dat scorch-mark on his arm dat won't come off." Rattrap sighed. "Bet dat dey have slightly different energy signatures as well."

"Cross-reference," Dinobot murmured.

Rattrap nodded. "Visual and energy." He started to turn, then grinned. "'Ya 're lookin' better, at least. Get somethin' outta 'ya system?"

"Slag off, and get those results!" Dinobot snapped, voice quavering.

Sinead looked at Sapphire and Miss Special. The two quickly followed Rattrap down the halls. Dinobot remained sitting up, and sighed, looking away from his room-mate. "Get your slagging shirt on."

Smiling, Sinead did so, seeing some of the Dinobot that had been before his torture. Once done, she asked, "What did you want?"

With his right arm, he indicated his still-injured left shoulder. "I can't fix this on my own. And your hands are smaller than mine."

The young woman grinned, and pulled out the kit that Rhinox had left in the room. "You want to look respectable?"

"I want to _fight_," Dinobot growled. "There's a difference."

.o.V.o.

Rattrap skidded back into the control center, and activated the map, tapping in commands. "Tell da Preds to stop movin'! I won't get good scans o' dem!"

"What?!" Silverbolt asked, blinking at Rattrap is if he had gone insane.

"Remember dat scar dat Dinobot gave to Megs three months back?"Rattrap looked up. "No, you weren't around den. But you know dat scar dat he has on da left side o' his jaw?"

"Yes."

"Look at Megs out dere."

Silverbolt, Optimus and Rhinox all looked. And Rhinox hissed a cuss under his breath. Then he sighed. "It's not there."

"Scorch mark on Rampage?"

"Blast it! Who _are_ they?!" Optimus burst out with.

Nurannoniel laughed, then said, "Check to see how many Predacons there are!"

Rattrap did, then replied, "Exactly double."

Starath laughed, and squealed, "I wanna annoy 'im! C'mon, Nurann, let me!!! Can I Sapph? CanIcanIcanI?!"

Sapphire laughed. "Calm down, you goose! We gotta make sure he's _safe_, first!"

Starath sat in a chair, nodding. "Right."

Optimus blinked, then activated an intercom. "What's your business, Megatron."

The Predacon leader stepped one pace further than the rest of his troops. "We were roughly kicked out from the Predacon territory from what seems to be our own clones. Either that, or we arrived in an alternate universe, as there seems to be energy-signature discrepancies and slight differences from what we consider normal."

Optimus frowned. Nurann tapped his arm. "Ask him about what the last thing had happened before they came here."

The Maximal did, and got the reply, "I just received Rampage into my troops. Almost literally."

"That happened a month and a half ago for us."

"Ah. So."

Starath blinked. "Can I go out there now?"

"No," Rhinox said softly. "Not yet."

Optimus asked, "What are you here for?"

"I have heard that there is one called 'Starath' somewhere upon this planet. She's something of a short human–"

"Hey!" Starath yelped. "Not fair!"

Megatron stopped, and blinked. "That's her?"

"What do you want, Megatron," Optimus demanded.

The Predacon seemed lost. "I don't honestly know."

There was a laugh, and Megatron's same voice called out mockingly from a rock formation. "Oh, I see it all now, yes! We send you running off with your tail between your legs, and _this_ is where you end up? How interesting, yes _indeed_!"

Starath pointed. "There. With most of his troops. I don't see Rampage."

Rattrap was still at the map-table. "Well, dey're different, all right. Our usual Megs has three scars on 'is face, while da new dude ain't got none. In fact, _none_ o' da ones on da savannah have any scars. None whatsoever."

Sapphire leaned over Rattrap's arm, to point to the wavelengths of both Megatrons energy signatures. "There's also a small variation_here_, so they're definitely different."

Rattrap nodded. "Wonder why."

No answer came. A shot fired out, and the Tarantulus on the savannah leapt out of the way just in time, and glared up at his mirror-image. Optimus sighed. "Open a hole in the shield when I tell you."

"What?!" Rhinox asked.

"Do it!"

With a disapproving look and sound, Rhinox complied with the order, readying the energy-change that would activate with the press of a button. Optimus looked to Starath and Nurannoniel. He suddenly realized that everyone but Sinead and Dinobot were there. "Right. Starath, get them in."

She grinned, but the three long-range shooters and Lady Venom stood around her. Miss Special loaded her crossbow. "We're going with. Don't try to tell us not to."

Optimus shook his head. "Wasn't going to."

.o.V.o.

The lift lowered, and Starath walked out to look up at the scarred Megatron, then at the one standing in front of her. A hole large enough for him to come through the shield opened, and he walked through, albeit hesitantly. The small human smiled up at him. "The rest of your troops, too."

He nodded, and Rampage came through next, eyeing Starath warily until Lady Venom leaned against his leg, fearlessly blinking up at him. Tarantulus and Blackarachnia came through, quickly followed by Quickstrike. Inferno was the last one through. The hole closed, and just in time. Rhinox called down the lift, "Get them to the cargo hold!"

The three humans nodded and ran along the side of the base until they got to the cargo lift, ammunition exploding against the shield. The Predacons followed them, and soon they were inside the hold. Rhinox was there to greet them. "Orders are for you Predacons to stay here."

"Aw, he's wary of us," Tarantulus jeered.

Rhinox pulled his chaingun upon the spider quickly, causing yells and curses of surprise. A calm voice said, "He hasn't done anything other than poke at you, Rhinox." The tech looked at Sinead. She walked forward. "Dinobot's passed out again. His Spark skipped."

"You look pale."

"Yeah, it scared the heck outta me," she snapped angrily, "okay?!" She sighed. "I can't stand seeing him like this."

Megatron frowned. "Was he injured severely in battle?"

"None of your–" Rhinox started.

"He was tortured," Sinead replied, cutting Rhinox off. "And that's all that you need to know at this time."

Starath looked up at Megatron, who was paling quickly. He had seen the look on her face. "He would refuse to see me, of course."

"Oh, he'd spaz. At least he's getting vicious again. Nearly bit my head off for talking to Sapph and Miss Special earlier."

Miss Special grinned. "Aw, but it was so cute how you and he interact!"

Sinead stuck her tongue out at the teasing author, and replied, "So?"

Optimus walked in, and asked, "So what do you plan upon doing, Megatron?"

The Predacon shrugged, face smooth and composed once again. "I came looking for Starath and two of her companions. Miss Special and Lady Venom."

Lady Venom was clinging to Rampage's arm, giggling just to get a rise out of him. But the homicidal crab was looking at her with something close to astonishment upon his face. Sinead shook her head, as Rattrap came into the room, Sapphire hanging onto him and begging him to tell her something. Sinead blinked, sighed, and said, "I'm getting back to Dinobot. Can't leave him unguarded."

Rattrap nodded. "Yeah, he'd not like wakin' up alone."

When Sinead reached the door, she stopped and looked back at the Transmetal rodent. "You'd usually add on another comment after that."

"Eh, so I don't want t' get my head bitten off by you or Sapphire."

The young woman smiled, and left. Rattrap looked at the human fastened to him, and then said, "Off, please? I gotta talk t' someone."

Rhinox rested his hand upon Rattrap's shoulder. "Let Sinead. She knows more than you do. And take her place at watching Dinobot. She has to rest if her back's going to heal fast."

.o.V.o.

Sinead and Megatron were watching each other, sitting in the shaded side of the base. The Predacons of this universe had finally left, so the air was peaceful once again. The human started the conversation with the unscarred Predacon. "You wanted to know what happened to Dinobot."

The tyrant's gaze didn't waver. "Yes."

"I want to know why."

He collected his thoughts, and then finally composed them into something she could understand. "Long before the Wars, we were two of the eldest in an orphanage, and were closer than brothers. Even though he had the great potential to become a leader, he stayed as my second-in-command. When he turned upon me in the beginning of the Wars, I . . . I didn't know what do to. So I had to act, play the part, if you will, of a cruel taskmaster. Later on I forgave him, and he forgave me. But we couldn't be the comrades we had once been, since he was Maximal, and I, of course, was Predacon. It wouldn't have been proper. So we avoided each other, and that's how it was when we were taken from that universe."

Sinead blinked slowly, then replied, "So you care about his well-being."

"No matter what universe I may be in, yes."

"Then you'll not like what happened to him."

Megatron's optics darted over her face, noting the pain and worry. "If you are worried that I will take my anger out upon you, then fear not. I take it that you are Dinobot's close friend, therefore, I cannot hurt you."

"He was brutally raped."

Megatron went silent.

Sinead sighed, and continued. "That's all I've gotten from him. I don't know who it was, or even if it was only one person."

"I'll_kill_ whoever did this," Megatron growled. "And I'll make them _scream_ before I kill them."

Sinead grabbed his hand, yanking it to get his attention. "Hey! Would he want that?"

The fierce light died in Megatron's optics. He sagged. "No. Not after what they did to him."

"Then you'll not do so."

"Will you tell me who tortured him?"

"I know that all the Predacons tortured him. They each have a different style, and I'm helping Rhinox repair Dinobot." She paused, and said, "He can't stand the touch of Cybertronian hands upon him. Nor can he watch them even reach towards him. He was really scarred by the Predacons."

Megatron nodded solemnly, and helped Sinead to her feet. "Then go to him."

.o.V.o.

Starath was outside the sickbay door. "He's not feeling good."

Sinead shrugged. "Neither is your Megatron. I had to tell him."

"And?"

"He's sworn vengeance. Ask his story." She opened the door, then turned and said, "Also, he didn't tell me how he knew who you were."

"Oh. Rampage told Lady V who told me and Miss Special. They've dreamt about us, and they know a few things that this universe doesn't know."

"Okay. Thanks. See you later."

"Yep! Later."

Rattrap was in her way of getting into the room. Sinead blinked at him, and then rested her hand upon the top of his head. "What is it?"

"He had another skip. That's four in the last twelve megacycles."

Sinead dodged around Rattrap, to look at Dinobot. A thin tube of a shiny blue something, probably energon, had been connected to one arm, while Sapphire was sitting on the tall stool that Sinead normally took while watching Dinobot. They both looked at her. She walked up to Dinobot and rested her hand upon the inner side of his right elbow. Sapphire stood, patted Sinead's shoulder, then left with Rattrap. Sinead whispered, "The Megatron of the other universe said that you and he grew up together like brothers. He was worried about you. He couldn't show it well, but he really didn't want you hurt."

"Did you . . . did you tell him?" Dinobot replied.

The feeble tone of his voice scared Sinead. She raised his hand to her face and kissed it, whispering, "I had to."

"And . . . his reaction?"

"He wants to take revenge upon the ones who did this to you."

"Rampage, Tarantulus, and Megatron." He took a deep breath in, and whispered in a soft, quiet tone, "Blackarachnia was an aide at times."

Sinead watched his face mournfully, then asked, "Why are you telling me this now?"

He looked back at her. "Because I do not have much time left."

"Don't say that."

"It is truth, Sinead. It is truth."

The human just stared at the Cybertronian. "I meant what I said, earlier."

Dinobot's optics dimmed, and he sighed. "If it were possible, then I would grasp at the opportunity. I've only heard that bonding with a human has been successful once out of the seven times it's been recorded to happen."

"What happened to the other six?"

"They died in the process." After a moment, he added, "I do not want you to die for my sake. Your friends need you more than I do."

"You all need me equally. And don't think that I don't need you, either. I need you just as much as I need all my other friends." Her voice softened. "Maybe even more."

The door opened, and Rhinox walked in again. "Good. You're awake, Dinobot."

"Matrix, what now?" the ex-Predacon asked.

"Someone convinced Optimus to let you two talk. Optimus insisted that both Sinead and myself stay in the room, which was oddly accepted right away, as long as one of his choice came in with _him_." Rhinox paused. "And he's safe. I swear on my Spark and on the Matrix, it isn't the one who did this to you."

Dinobot nodded, and the other-universe Megatron stepped in timidly, all weapons left behind, hands and body posturing in as non-threatening a position as possible. Sinead felt Dinobot's hand squeeze hers tightly in an involuntary spasm, then relax as he remembered that humans broke easily. Starath walked in behind Megatron, and promptly sat on Sinead's bed. "Hey Scale-Faces."

Sinead gave her a _look_, but Megatron spoke first. "Forgive me that I resemble who did this to you."

Dinobot blinked in surprise, then replied, "Why? You're not him. I can tell."

"How much longer do you have?"

Sighing, the prostate Cybertronian replied, "Less than a day. I might not make it through the night, even."

Sinead looked away, unable to keep the tears from falling. "I'll be by the window."

She pushed one side of the curtain away just enough to slip behind it, and look out at the landscape beyond through increasingly blurry vision. Starath watched her with mournful eyes, then looked at Dinobot, who was wincing. He swore softly. "I am not certain."

"No, I didn't think you were." Megatron cleared his throat, glanced at the form on the other side of the curtain, and then changed the subject slightly. "What are your wishes, then?"

Dinobot shook his head, then called, "Sinead, please, come back."

"One moment." Her voice was quavering. Starath got up and pushed the curtain aside roughly, then embraced her sister-in-spirit. Sinead looked down at the slightly-shorter girl, and hugged her back, sniffing and rubbing at her eyes. Dinobot genuinely looked horrible. Megatron cleared his throat, then whispered _very_ quietly to Dinobot, "I shouldn't have asked that, I take it?"

"Correct assumption," Dinobot replied. At that moment, however, memories flooded his mind, and he winced, hiding his face in his hands, trying not to panic.

Megatron very wisely didn't touch Dinobot, but was struggling not to keep his hands still, Sinead saw. Starath closed the sheet-curtain. Sinead walked back over to Dinobot, tears still falling, and pulled his arms away from his face. "Look at me. C'mon, you big softie, look at me."

Dinobot activated his optics, trembling. "Forgive me . . ."

"There's nothing that has to be forgiven," Sinead replied. She chuckled through her tears. "Don't you start getting all weepy on me! I'm weepy enough as it is, and I don't need you breaking down, either!"

Rhinox smiled at the scene, then saw Megatron ever-so-gently rest his hand upon Starath's shoulder once the young woman reached his side. So. That's why he was here.

Dinobot steeled his nerves, then reached out to Megatron. The Predacon leader took his hand in a friendly grasp. "You're slagging doing fine. Now stop grousing, and say something even slightly constructive."

"Slag. The Pit. Off," Dinobot growled.

"Better!" Megatron said, releasing Dinobot's hand and sitting on a reinforced stool. "Now was that all that hard?"

Starath clambered onto his lap, and said, "And I want a pony for Christmas, and a dolly, and a rainbow, and a bike, and a teddy-bear, and a scooter, and a car, and a boyfriend . . ."

Sinead laughed completely, wiping the last of the tears away. "Wow, Starath. Just wow."

Dinobot relaxed into the bed, but still trembled slightly. He looked at Sinead, then back at Megatron. "If . . . if Sinead tells you those main participants . . . what will you do?"

Megatron's face hardened. "Kill them. However you want me to, I'll kill them." He sighed. "Sinead most likely has told you that in_my_ universe, you and I were brothers in all definitions save genetically. I'll kill for you, if that is what you wish."

Dinobot's gaze wavered, and he nodded. "And of all the others?"

"They slagging helped to imprison and torture you. They're included."

"She'll tell you tomorrow, when she's able to get up." He yawned, but tried to stay awake.

Megatron's face was breaking with emotions. "Matrix, you slag-consuming piece of scrap, if you croak overnight, I'll never forgive either you_or_ me."

Dinobot finally made optic-contact with the Predacon, and held it even though he felt himself beginning to tremble again. With great effort, he replied evenly, "I will not die. There is a plan."

Rhinox blinked in surprise. "Really. Says who?"

"Says Sinead," Dinobot replied, still watching Megatron. "She's insisting that she helps me live."

"Bonding?!"

"Correct."

"Are you out of your slagging _mind_, human?! Six humans in their prime _died_ while trying to Bond with a Cybertronian!"

Starath's head snapped around to look at Sinead, who was watching first Dinobot, then Rhinox. She smiled faintly. "Yes, but didn't one survive? What condition was that human in before bonding?"

"She . . . was rather injured."

"Were all the other Cybertronians injured?"

"Yes . . . yes, of course."

"Maybe . . . equal need."

Rhinox sighed. "I hope you're right. Want me to tell the others?"

"Sapphire already knows about Bonding," Starath said softly. "I heard her and Rattrap talking about it. She should know the dangers as well."

"Then I'll talk with her, first."

Rhinox left with Starath. Sinead looked up at Megatron, then back at Dinobot. "I'd let him have the night to plan."

"Agreed," the bot said softly.

She pulled him into the hall, then down it a little ways, so that Dinobot didn't have to hear. "They were Rampage, Tarantulus, and Megatron. Blackarachnia sometimes helped. Everyone else tortured him, but those were the ones who violated him." She tugged on his hand, getting him to look at her again, and not glare at the wall. "What are you thinking?"

"We'll kill once Dinobot is safe from threat of death. Get back to him. I'll check in at daybreak to see if he's still alive, as well as you."

He left before Sinead could say anything. However, she smiled at his retreating back and then walked back in to the sickbay. Dinobot reached up to her face and brushed the back of his knuckles across her cheek. "Stay with me tonight."

She smiled, and nodded. "I'll stay with you _forever_, if I have to."

His face was somewhere between urgency and laughter. "You just might."

"I do love you."

"I know." He swallowed, and whispered, "I'll have to learn how to love, though."

"I don't care. You're you, and that's all I could ask for. I never want you to change to be someone who you clearly _aren't_."

Dinobot sighed, and pulled Sinead down to rest against him. She smiled and held his other hand in both of hers, as he started to explain to her what needed to be done.


	4. Life Returned

Stolen Virtue  
By: Sinead

_**Author's Note:**__ "Bjorking" is pronounced "biyorking." You'll come up against it later. It was invented in my plumbing class on a boring, rainy day. Other than that, don't ask. You really don't want to know. _

Part Four: Life Returned

.o.V.o.

Optimus crept as quietly down the hall as he could. Megatron was already at the door, face slightly shocked. Optimus looked through the crack into the room, and then blinked. No wonder why Megatron was silent. Dinobot was awake, sitting up, cradling a sleeping Sinead. He was just watching her face as she breathed deeply in her slumber.

Not one scar lined his frame.

The humans all gathered around the two leaders, waiting for some sort of signal to tell them if Sinead and Dinobot were still living. After all, all the other young women had survived.

Finally, Megatron sighed, and looked down at the floor, rubbing at his forehead. The humans started to stiffen with fear. The Predacon knocked on the door, then growled, "Are you slagging done studying Sinead's face? It's getting embarrassing."

Yells and cheers broke out. Dinobot managed to roar out over the ruckus, "You slagging woke her up!"

Starath ran into the room, and grinned. "Have fun last night?"

Sinead was rubbing at her eyes sleepily. Her voice was hoarse. "You wouldn't believe it if I told you."

"No, we believe it. See, when you Bond to a Cybertronian, you can't be killed in battle while one partner is safe and healthy somewhere else. Or if they're even just alive."

The short-haired author blinked. "What."

"Inferno's cute, once you get used to him."

Sinead only blinked at her. "Who else Bonded last night?"

Starath blushed, and called out, "We have to find Dannn, Skyfire, and Sharpshot some girls! The rest of us are taken, if not quite formally, yet."

"Oh, that's gonna be something of a battle all in itself. Wait! Wooo! I've always wanted to set someone up on a blind date!"

.o.V.o.

Dinobot looked at his completely healed body while Sinead went to his room to get spare armor. He, after all, had nearly died in horror when Rattrap was feeling "free" one day before the Quantum Surge. Indecent exposure just wasn't on Dinobot's "to-do" list.

He closed his eyes and felt for the memories of his torture. As expected, they came to mind, but . . . he was able to think about them rationally now, not curl up and want to die. Even . . . even when he had been violated, he could look back upon it without panicking. Sinead had taken the fear and the pain away. Just by holding him in what could have been his last hour, she saved his life literally by her love alone. And a certain sadness around her eyes had left her, replaced by a laughing joy.

Smiling, he looked at his hands, and then swung his legs off of the bed, to just sit with the sheets draped over his lap. Every new sensation that came his way this morning felt so pure . . . so new. The feel of the air brushing lightly though a vent, the soft smell of Sinead's hair as she was asleep, the sight of . . . "That slagging sheet is moving _now_."

Wrapping the blankets around his shoulders, he walked over to the window and tore the improvised curtain down. Sinead found him just looking out the window. Rattrap was with her again, helping her with the second box of armor. At first, she thought that she wouldn't have been able to carry even the _smaller_ one, but she did so, and easily. So she picked up the larger box and walked with it. Rattrap had laughed at her surprised face, and explained that her strength had been augmented by the fact that she was partially Cybertronian now. In theory, at least. If she was_lucky_, Rattrap had also said, she might have robot and beast modes. He had started to say something else after that, an evil smirk on his face, but Sinead slapped him and started walking back to Dinobot, grinning at the fact that her hand didn't even sting at the sudden sensation of coming in sharp contact with Rattrap's cheek.

Dinobot turned to blink at the two as they entered. "Oh."

Sinead laughed, then set the box down. "That's all. I carry in something that probably weighs almost twice as much as I do, and all you say is 'oh.' Yeah, that's _my_ thanks!"

The Maximal laughed freely, almost shocking Rattrap. The rodent knew that it had been Sinead's doing. The human was smiling as well. He set the smaller box down upon the floor. "Yo, ah, I'm gonna leave you two be. I got my girl ta get back to."

Dinobot freed one arm to pull Sinead into an embrace. "By all means, leave."

They made faces at each other, and Rattrap closed the door. Sinead laughed harder, Rattrap heard, as he walked down the hall, and nearly ran straight into Tarantulus. "Hey, ain't 'ya . . ."

Scars laced over the spider's face.

Activating his comm-link, Rattrap screamed, "INTRUDER!!!"

Before he could say anything more, the spider pinned him up against a wall and would have bitten him had a hand not grabbed him and pushed him up against the opposite wall. The tip of something _very_ sharp grazed his back. A voice he had never expected to hear again hissed evilly, "Move and you'll wish that you had never been brought online."

Dinobot.

The warrior was barely armored, but armored enough to be modest. An unscarred Megatron, as well as most of the Predacons and Maximals, came running into the corridor. The humans were not far behind. Rattrap rose to his feet with a slight bit of pain, and Sapphire was instantly beside him. Megatron looked to one of his warriors, then nodded. He looked back at the Maximal warrior and said, "Dinobot, allow Rampage to take care of Tarantulus, yes."

Dinobot's head snapped to look at the Predacon, optics glaring out from under black, black hair. He looked to the unscarred Rampage, who walked forward and gripped the spider carefully yet fiercely. Dinobot released Tarantulus and backed off slightly so that he could look into the intruder's face. Astonishment, fear, hate . . . everything evil was portrayed in that face. He shifted his gaze to the other-universe Tarantulus, the unscarred one. Sure, it was still corrupted, but underneath all that was a genuine wish to do something memorable, something . . . something not so evil.

Without saying anything to either spider, Dinobot walked back into the sickbay, pausing only once to say to Megatron, "Once he is disposed of, I want to talk to you."

Megatron nodded once, and the humans all walked into the sickbay after Sinead and Dinobot. Rattrap and Optimus followed as well. Dinobot sat upon Sinead's soft bed, and rested his head in his hands. Sinead sat beside him and leaned against his side. She felt his silent growls as vibrations throughout his entire body. Finally, she stood to kiss his nose. "Tell me what you're running over and over in your mind."

"Who else will that tyrant send after me?"

"Whoever's left," Sharpshot said faintly. "Whoever can be ordered to go."

Dinobot looked up at the boy he had not yet met, then sighed. "Sinead, I don't know all of your companions."

"Oh! Sorry. That one's Sharpshot, that's Lady Venom, you know Miss Special, and that's Nurannoniel. You've met the rest at one time or another."

With a sigh, Dinobot nodded. "Yes, I have, haven't I. Hngh . . . slag it all."

Starath blinked, then asked, "What's wrong?"

"I do not wish to see who else may try to kill me. I do not want to see their faces–"

A scream split the air, but cut off abruptly. Nurannoniel shuddered, and Optimus started to move towards her when he saw Sinead wrap arms around the slightly-younger warrior. "Nurann, it is what had to be done. I know that you were watching the monitors at least once, and I know that you saw some of Dinobot's wounds. I have the feeling that you also sat watch in here during the night a few times."

Nurannoniel nodded, face hidden against Sinead's shoulder.

"So you saw part of the torture. Tarantulus did worse than what you saw, and I'll leave it at that. Whatever Rampage did, the spider deserved ten times over."

There was a knock, and Megatron's voice accompanied it, saying, "Ah, Dinobot?"

The velociraptor Transformer snarled irritably. "What."

Megatron entered. "Tarantulus, ahem . . ."

"Dead?"

"Not quite. He threw himself over the waterfall. Rampage still senses life in him."

Rattrap swore, then rubbed between his optics. "So what happens now?"

"Rampage also went over the waterfall for him," Megatron replied, "and is now searching. Inferno is keeping watch from the air."

Dinobot nodded. "So be it. If he is killed–"

Megatron's comm-link crackled to life. "Rampage to Megatron."

"Ah. Yes?"

"Found him."

"And?"

"He's dead. Took care of that just now."

Megatron left the room, and walked down the hall until he was sure that the others wouldn't listen in. "Method?"

"I crushed his Spark."

"You didn't ingest it?"

"Hmph, no. My Lady supplies what I look for in devouring a Spark. I have no need, no hunger, for that anymore."

Megatron smiled at the possessive way Rampage spoke about Lady Venom. "Very well."

"What do I do with the body?"

"Dispose of it in whatever way you feel fit."

There was an evil chuckle. "I'll see that it's delivered to their doorstep, then. Rampage out."

When Megatron returned to the sickbay, only Sinead, Dinobot, Starath, and Lady Venom were there. Dinobot looked at the Predacon. "Well?"

"Spark was crushed, and the body is being brought to the Predacon base as we speak."

"A warning."

Megatron smirked. "In a way." The smirk disappeared. "Likely as not, however, the other Megatron will not care for the warning. He'll disregard it, and send another."

Dinobot stood, and started piecing the armor upon himself again. "Then we'd better be ready."

.o.V.o.

Sinead watched Sapphire's movements carefully later that morning. There! The shorter female blocked the move lightning-fast, and then struck, which was also blocked. A series of moves, too fast for the boys to see, followed until there was a scuffle. Sapphire landed on top of Sinead, her knee pinning her to the ground. Rattrap held Dinobot's elbow, keeping the tall bot from entering the duel. Sinead was laughing. "That was great!"

Sapphire helped her up, and then looked over her shoulder at Rattrap. "Thanks!"

Dinobot looked into Sinead's eyes, and saw that nothing serious was meant by the match. It was a test for both of them. Sapphire nudged Sinead's side. "You tripped on that rock."

"Yeah . . ."

"Wanna go again?"

Dinobot sighed in exasperation as the two warriors squared off and circled slowly. He wanted to talk with Sinead about a few things, and was growing impatient. She knew he wanted to talk, yet she continued to fight. Was this what his mentors and peers thought while they waited for him to stop his own training? "Will this never end?"

Starath laughed beside him. "They both have a higher sense of balance, speed, strength, and almost everything else. Why deny them the wish to see how far they can go?"

He looked down at the human curiously, then smiled, and nodded. "Understandable." Looking back at the two authors exchanging blows, he asked, "I only wish that neither of them would accidently hurt the other."

Rattrap was grinning behind Dinobot's back so only Starath would see. She nodded and the Transmetal barreled into Dinobot, sending them into a wrestling match. And then Dinobot truly understood why Sinead was pushing herself. His own speed was unbelievable! Strength and dexterity were heightened as well, but . . . Rattrap had technique. He _knew_ what moves Dinobot was about to make. But Dinobot knew something as well. With a deft twist, he pinned Rattrap to the ground, just as Sinead was pulling a tripping move upon Sapphire. Both Rattrap and Sapphire went down, and dust rose. All four were panting, but grinning. Starath whistled. "Winners!"

Rattrap let himself be helped to his feet, then said, "Man! I didn't know you knew somethin' like dat!"

Dinobot grinned. "Human martial arts. I learned how to fight unarmed before I was allowed to hold a sword."

Sapphire launched herself onto Rattrap's back, then kissed his cheek. "Any other wounds I can kiss other than your bruised pride and ego?"

"Oh,_dat_ was cute, Sapph. _Real_ cute. I'm gonna go an' sulk now."

"Just as long as I'm with you!"

Rattrap smiled.

.o.V.o.

Two pink optics watched Dinobot and Sinead in Dinobot's room. It was mid-afternoon. Sinead was sitting between Dinobot's knees and watching his face, just as the ex-Predacon was watching Sinead's own face. They smiled at the same time, and the human leapt into his arms, knocking him onto his back. "You're too cute, sometimes."

"I'm_cute_?! Slag, that doesn't fit, somehow."

Sinead laughed, and sighed, then traced Dinobot's brow, before removing the helmet and playing with his medium-length hair. "Can I call you ruggedly handsome?"

"If you ask nicely, I'll consider it."

"Gee, thanks."

Sinead blinked, smiled, and then kissed his nose. The Predacon swept into the room, shooting at the two. He hit each squarely between the eyes, but . . . the shots passed right them.

The hologram wavered, then fizzled out.

The sounds of guns being primed caused Megatron to turn. Sinead and Dinobot were surrounded by their comrades. Sinead grinned. "And here I was, thinking that he wouldn't fall for it. Dinobot, you won_that_ bet."

"Wonderful," Dinobot growled, crimson optics narrowed dangerously. "So, Megatron, what do you think that your troops will do when you're killed?"

"Hah! You wouldn't, no. I can still see that you're full of your fear for me, Dinobot, yess. Your optics are more expressive than usual," the scarred leader sneered, but wary enough of the weaponry that was trained upon his form that he didn't make a move.

Dinobot grinned, though the disgust he had for Megatron still showed upon his face. It was a frightening mix of the emotions. "I'm learning how to show my emotions. I have a wonderful teacher."

The unscarred Megatron was trembling with rage. With a growl of frustration, he roared out, "He's mine and mine alone!"

Sinead glanced over her shoulder to look up at the unscarred face. Reading it partially, she looked at Starath, who also looked down from her Megatron's face. The strawberry-blonde girl nodded once. Sinead faced completely forwards again. "Maybe we should let him, Dinobot."

"He could be killed," Dinobot said levelly.

"War is war. Besides. He has something that the other Megatron doesn't."

"Technique? Refinement? Hah! Oh, I see what you are getting at! It's_ that_, isn't it," Dinobot snickered, a bit of his old, tormenting self seeping though. But he was also acting out of nervousness.

Both Dinobot's and the unscarred Megatron's anger was rising, and Sinead knew that she had to get this done quickly. She nodded. "Correct. Get outside, Megs." She guided the Maximals, scattered Predacons and humans back into the hallway, so that the two Megatrons would be able to get outside quickly. "Move. That way. Now."

"And if I refuse?"

Skyfire aimed twin rifles at his stomach and mid-chest. "Then you deal with some nice buckshot ripping though your torso _before_ you and the other Megs duel. Get. Moving."

The scarred Megatron walked out the door, sneered at Dinobot, then walked towards the open side of the hallway. The unscarred Megatron followed him, heavy footsteps announcing his rage.

When they passed the sickbay, Sinead roughly shoved Dinobot in and closed the door after them. The others continued on, pretending that they didn't notice. Lady Venom knew that Dinobot would have been liable to lose it; he was still experiencing some stress from his torture. She and her Rampage guarded the door after a small glance.

Sinead held Dinobot's wrists, glaring into his optics. He was glaring back, panting as if he had run leagues. Sinead' grip tightened further, and she hissed quietly, "Come back to me, Dinobot. Lose that rage, and come back to me."

The wild look in the warrior's optics didn't diminish. With a swift movement, Sinead unbalanced Dinobot, knocked the sword from his hand, and sat on his chest, pinning his arms to the floor. The impact had driven the breath from his body and shocked him all in one go. He blinked a few times, then saw Sinead's glare. His face melted, and he sighed. Sinead gently let go of him, then hung her head. "Sorry that I knocked you over. It was the only way that I'd get you back."

Dinobot reached up to rest his hands upon her shoulders. His optics were dark with not only worry, but with apology. "I know. I'm sorry. Sometimes . . . sometimes it's just more than hard to control my temper. I wish that it wasn't."

Nodding, Sinead helped Dinobot up. They walked to the window and looked out, seeing a scarred and bleeding Megatron turn to shoot at the unscarred Megatron, who had received a few blows himself. Sinead and Dinobot noticed two more were watching over their shoulders. Lady Venom and Rampage. Dinobot edged away from the Predacon minutely.

They were all silent, as the two tyrants circled. With a roar, the scarred one lashed out with his tail-gun, catching the unscarred one's midsection. That Megatron gripped the arm, to pull it towards him as he aimed a kick at the scarred Megatron's lower stomach. Foot collided with groin, and that Megatron went down with a groan. A few more moves later, neither of the scarred Megatron's arms were there. Sinead had stopped looking, turning her face into Dinobot's torso.

Then it was over.

Lady Venom shuddered, and saw the bleeding but unscarred Megatron rip the Spark from the scarred Megatron's body and crush it with a roar that was audible to even _them_. Sinead shuddered again, then clutched at Dinobot's sides. Rampage pulled the curtain. His shoulders sagged when he saw the auburn-haired young woman's appearance. "You've never seen war, before, have you, Sinead."

Her head shook back and forth a few times, slowly. Dinobot sighed and picked her up, holding her close. "You didn't have to watch as long as you did, you know."

"No, Dinobot, I did. I saw what his hands had done to you, and I saw what he had done to your mind. I had to watch."

"I'm glad that you turned away when you did, though."

"So'm I."

Lady Venom sighed, and rubbed at Sinead's back. "Hey, you want anything to drink? Water?"

"Yeah." Sinead sniffled, then reached down to grasp Lady Venom's outstretch hand. "Thank you."

"Hey, anytime. I'm going hunting with Rampage, Miss Special, and Inferno in about a half hour. We'll grab you something, even if you still don't feel like eating it. Someone else will."

She aimed a subtle glare at Rampage, who blinked at her innocently. "What?! Like I have a choice over how much I have to consume, my Lady?"

"No. But you could at least stop complaining. 'I'm hungry! Feed me!' Honestly!"

Sinead chuckled, and said, "I might be able to eat when you guys come back. Thanks."

Rampage opened the door for Lady Venom, then closed it after her. Neither said anything for one long moment, making it to the door to leave the base before the Transmetal finally was able to find words for what he wanted to say. "She looks like she was about to . . . what do you say? When the stomach contents are brought back up."

"Puking, throwing up, ralphing, yarfing, bjorking–"

"Right. So, water for her first, then hunting?"

"Yeah. Frankly, I'm surprised I could watch that."

Rampage seemed fidgety. "That's because of who you Bonded with. I've been around violence all my life, and have caused more than half of it. I'm used to worse sights than that. Obviously, Dinobot has been in battle situations for only a short while in comparison to me. Maybe a third of his life was dedicated to war-craft and such."

"Oh." She grabbed a water bottle, then went out the front of the _Axalon_ to lower it down into the well Rampage and Tarantulus had worked on the entire day before, for lack of something else to do. The water came up clean and fresh. Sapphire and Rattrap were on the other side of the freshly-dug spring, each staring off into space. Lady Venom crouched next to Sapphire, who had an empty water-bottle in her hands. The British-South African young woman looked up slowly at Lady Venom, who whispered, "Did you want me to refill that?"

"Please?"

Taking the bottle from Sapphire, Lady Venom replaced it with the full one. "Is Miss Special doing okay?"

"Yeah . . . she's fine. Didn't puke, like most of us."

"Starath included?"

"Starath included. Is Sinead okay?"

"She's probably yarfing right about now. Knowing how she likes to protect us, she probably held it down until me and Rampy were out of the room." Lady Venom smiled sadly, shrugging and shaking her head. "She really looked horrible. I had to get out so that she and Dinobot could at least deal with seeing that."

"Did she see everythin'?" Rattrap asked quietly.

"No. She turned away just after Megs got his arms ripped off."

Sapphire swore, against her nature, and rushed back to the edge of the gorge. Rattrap held onto her belt, making sure that she didn't fall. Lady Venom sighed, and rubbed at her forehead, refilling the other water bottle. "I shouldn't have said that."

The other girl coughed, spat, and rinsed her mouth out with the water, unfazed in the least with the depth of the canyon that she was at the edge of. "It isn't your fault, Lady V. Honest."

Rattrap helped Sapphire back to sitting by the well, embracing her carefully. Lady Venom rubbed at Sapphire's hair for a moment, then whispered, "I'll be out with Miss Spesh an' Ferny. We'll have food when we get back."

"When'll that be?" Sapphire asked.

"Two hours? We have a lot of hunting to do."

"Okay. Thanks."

"Anytime." Lady Venom looked at Rampage, then sighed. "I gotta go get this to Sinead. She'll be looking for water."

"Here's another empty bottle," Sapphire said, holding it out while drinking from the nearly-full one.

Lady Venom rinsed it, filled it, and smiled her thanks before walking back into the base.

.o.V.o.

Miss Special looked at Lady Venom, a half-hour later. "Everything goin' all right with Sinead and Dinobot?"

"Yeah. She's completely nauseous right now, though. I asked Rhinox, and he looked up that case where both the human and Cybertronian were injured, but Bonded . . . ? Yeah, the girl was sick to her stomach for two days after a small delay period. So it wasn't just the fight that set her off. Watch out for that. Even _I_ got sick here and there."

"Ooh, not good."

"Well, Dinobot's learning how to be gentle by this. He's so worried about her. It's really cute."

Miss Special laughed. "Yeah, I'll not tease them about it. I get the subtle hinting."

Inferno blinked. "Why would you tease?"

The pyromaniacal human smiled up at him, then shrugged. "Usually when a girl finds a guy who gets really worried about her health and won't leave her side when she's sick, friends either tease about it or think that it's the cutest thing."

"Oh."

"Kinda like how you spazzed out when I tripped and skinned my knee this morning, and Starath was saying how cute that was."

Inferno nodded, smiled, and said, "I have to protect you. You are the–"

"You say 'queen' and you'll sleep on the floor," Miss Special cut in.

Inferno laughed. It wasn't the insane laugh that it had been before. When he and Miss Special had Bonded the evening before, programming that had been supposedly deleted had been accessed. His mind was whole again. He was still trying to explore all those connections, which made him not only thoughtful but sharper than ever. He smiled as kindly as he could. "No, I understand that there is no need to try to place a title upon what kind of commander you are. When it comes to me, you're not a commander, or any more of a commander than _I_ am. You're my equal; my Bonded."

"You're a sap."

Inferno, Lady Venom and Rampage all got a chuckle out of that. They quieted, though, as soon as they reached the thickest part of the forest. Not too long after that, the found three deer. Two does and a buck. Lady Venom indicated the buck. In a flurry of movement, Miss Special fired and reloaded, watching for any more movement. Two rabbits soon fell and the girl stopped firing. Piling the three carcasses together, Rampage asked, "Will this be enough?"

Miss Special ticked off the people in her head. "Nah. We'll need another deer. But let's at least skin these puppies and prepare them here. The others are still too sick to see stuff like this right now."

Lady Venom looked at Miss Special. "I've been meaning to ask you: Why aren't you sick?"

The other young woman shrugged. "Inferno's been through Hell, I guess. Something almost like what happened to Rampage, but there was fire. A _lot_ of fire."

Inferno nodded. "That's the main reason for my obsession with fire. It was my birth, in a sense."

Rampage yawned. "Yeah, enough of the philosophical slag. Who gets the deerskin this time?"

"Sapphire?" Lady Venom asked.

"Dinobot," said Miss Special.

"Sinead_and_ Dinobot!"

"Doesn't Rattrap already have a deerskin that he shares with Sapphire?" Rampage asked.

"Everyone but Sinead has one," Lady Venom replied. "She insisted that they get one before her since she had a wool blanket."

"Then where is it?"

"When we started our fires at night, she used to rip strips off of the bottom of the blanket so that we had something dry to start the fire with. She should still have it, somewhere."

"I think Starath stole it to hem it, actually," Miss Special cut in.

"Or Sapphire."

Inferno sighed. "Then this goes to Sinead. Rabbit-skins?"

"Nurann. She's been bored lately. Needs something to make. I heard she's starting a rabbit-skin blanket."

"Right. Who's skinning the small ones?"

"Me, hand it over. Lady V, you get the deer this time."

"Yes!"

"Ick."

"Ah-hahahahaha!"

"Rampage, you're rubbing off on her a _bit_ too much there, pal."

"Me?! Slag, no! This is how she's been all along!"

". . ."


	5. A Parting

Stolen Virtue  
By: Sinead

Part Five: A Parting

.o.V.o.

Starath awoke in an empty chamber. Megatron was nowhere to be seen. The young woman sighed. He'd been like this ever since the fight. He'd been avoiding her. She felt it.

Sighing, the author changed into jeans and a sweater then walked to the sickbay. She opened the door so see Megatron talking with Sinead and Dinobot. The Predacon's face lit up. "You're awake. I was just going to check in on you."

Sinead was sitting up, playing a card game with Dinobot. She smiled. "Breakfast is untouched by me. It's on the bed over there, so help yourself."

"You're not hungry?" Starath asked, walking in and closing the door.

"I can only keep liquids down. That tea stuff that Silverbolt makes is amazing."

Starath snagged some meat from the makeshift but clean plate, then stood next to Megatron. His sigh caused her to look at him. His optics were sad. "I'm sorry about yesterday."

Two sets of cards were slapped onto the sheet as Sinead and Dinobot glared at Megatron. The tyrant glared back. "This is the last apology, I slagging swear it!"

Picking her cards back up, Sinead growled, "Better be. I can't stand hearing you gripe to everyone about why and how you couldn't keep your rage and instincts from taking over." She looked to Starath. "He wasn't ignoring or avoiding you. He just couldn't figure out how to say sorry to you since you're his Bonded. Just don't let him whine. He gets really pathetic."

"I'm still here," Megatron growled.

"Physically, yes, but mentally? Not a chance."

"You're_really_ starting to get on my nerves, human."

"It's my job. Complain later. Oh, and Dinobot? I win."

The ex-Predacon swore, blinked at Sinead's empty hands, then sighed. "I'm never playing this against you ever again."

Starath climbed onto Megatron's lap and leaned against his chest, smiling and listening to Sinead and Dinobot argue. Maybe the day would be a good one after all.

.o.V.o.

The goodness of the morning didn't last. Rampage was the next Predacon to arrive at the Maximal base. Lady Venom's Rampage snarled curses to himself as he sat with Sinead, Dinobot, and his own Bonded. He and Lady Venom were trying to get Dinobot to at least stop flinching every time that Rampage moved. Sinead was sitting, watching him and grinning from time to time. Finally, they heard Starath grumbling in the hall. Her grumble was answered by a much deeper one, that managed to startle even Rampage.

Megatron was, to put it lightly, in a very dark mood.

The door slammed open. "Rampage. We're not going to play by the rules. Get up."

The Transmetal crab snorted, following his leader out. "Since when do we have rules?"

Sinead curled up beside Dinobot, burying her head in his side. Starath and Lady Venom sighed, each pulling a stool over, neither one ready for the scream when it came. Sinead jumped upon hearing it, and clung to Dinobot even more so than she already had been.

The screams continued.

.o.V.o.

The scarred Rampage had started the fight with Tarantulus. Luckily, the spider was fast, and so he dodged most of what Rampage had aimed at him. Before long, however, The other Rampage and Megatron stormed out. Tarantulus had sustained a few damages in those few minutes, but it was nothing serious. The scarred Rampage turned his attention to his unscarred twin-image and Megatron. His grin was evident in his optics. "I have both halves of my Spark. What are you going to do, hm? You can't stop me, and I plan upon getting into that base. I'm going to find Dinobot, and I'm going to break him in such a way that what I had done to him before he had been rescued was only a day in the playground."

Megatron looked at his Rampage, who gave him a cold look. That was a disadvantage, and a rather poignant one at that. Not to mention that the scarred Rampage had said what would happen if they were to fail.

With a sigh, Megatron pulled out the half of Rampage's Spark that he had taken from him. "I hope that you know what you're doing. And I hope that Lady Venom will keep you in check, yes _indeed_."

Tarantulus began trembling. What he really . . . ?

Megatron broke the compacting box apart, releasing the Spark.

The unscarred Rampage's hand shot out and he cupped the sphere gently, then roared in triumph, green optics lighting up with an eerie glow. This was a bot to be reckoned with, and to be avoided at all costs when in a "regular" sour mood . . . but _now_ . . . Tarantulus shuddered with pure and unadulterated fear.

Rampage joined the lost half of his Spark with the rest of his soul, then snickered, lighting his optics upon the other Predacon watching in bemused shock. The scarred one was hit with an onslaught of rapid-fire punches. They were faster than his own! How can that be?! How . . . how can he, a mirror-image, be faster than himself?!

With the screaming of wrenched metal, two of the crab legs upon the scarred Rampage's back were ripped free. They were immediately pierced through his arms and twisted as easily as a human would play with twistie-ties from a trash bag. The scarred Rampage screamed, his voice carrying. He was unable to move.

"How can I be faster than you, you're thinking," the unscarred Rampage hissed evilly.

The scarred Rampage nodded the tiniest piece.

"Because I have been Bonded." His face twisted into a sneer. "And because_you're_ afraid that you're going to be killed. How about we test that?"

.o.V.o.

By the time that Rampage and Megatron had cleaned up and returned to the sickbay, they saw all three humans huddled around Dinobot. Sapphire was also in the room with Rattrap, each trying their best to comfort Starath and Lady Venom. Rampage swallowed, and said quietly, "Lady Venom, if . . . if I can do anything . . ."

She leapt off of the bed, stumbling towards the door. Rampage started to move to let her pass, but she altered her course to stumble into his waist and hold on. Starath looked up, and sniffed. Megatron rested his large hand upon her hair and brushed it away from her face before opening his arms to her. She practically flew to him and buried her head into his neck. He looked at Dinobot, and sighed. "Thank you for watching out for Starath."

Dinobot shrugged, not pausing his hand from passing through Sinead's hair as he replied softly, "Sinead considers these authors her siblings in a way. Starath is certainly no exception. That makes her something of a sister to me as well." He sighed, and looked down at Sinead. The human had fallen asleep, but her face was still troubled. His hands paused, and he carefully moved Sinead so that she wouldn't wake up with a stiff neck. "Matrix, but would I could get her and the other humans away from this."

"That . . . isn't that bad of an idea," Rampage said from where he was sitting with Lady Venom trembling in his arms. "I want Lady Venom to see no more of this. To even be far enough away that she wouldn't feel the horrors that happen here."

"I wish no risk to Starath, either," Megatron added. "I'll propose this to Optimus."

"I'm staying with you," Starath whimpered. "Don't leave me."

Megatron shifted his hold slightly, then smiled as best as he could and replied, "That would increase my chances of getting killed. If you're safe and away somewhere, then we will both live."

Starath looked up at him, her face showing openly her fear and sadness. "I don't want you to leave me."

The tyrant sighed, and bowed his head slightly. "Starath, if you were ever hurt, I'd never forgive myself. I can't have you around here and have the possibility that you'll be injured."

"That's why I'm having Sinead go," Dinobot whispered. "I have to face my fears sometime."

"You're not gonna stay with 'er?" Rattrap asked softly.

Dinobot shook his head slowly, and then laid back, one hand resting behind his head, the other resting lightly upon Sinead's head. "I feel the same as Megatron. I cannot allow Sinead to be injured. I'd . . . I'd slagging go berserker. I wouldn't be able to control myself. I know that. I nearly lost it yesterday, when the other Megatron came around. And Sinead hadn't even been threatened in the least. Imagine what could happen if she were hurt. I . . . do not trust myself."

Rampage swallowed, then looked at Lady Venom. She was still holding onto him, eyes squeezed shut. With a sigh, he held her close, then whispered, "I want you to do the same. Please. I have my Spark to myself again, and I have more speed than I ever thought possible, but I want you to stay safe."

"And that means that I have to get as far away as possible?" Lady Venom asked.

Sapphire held into Rattrap's hand, then sighed and rested her head upon his shoulder, closing her eyes. She knew that she would have to go as well.

.o.V.o.

Nurannoniel and Optimus were sitting in his quarters two nights later. Sinead was well enough to travel, so they would be leaving the next day. The humans weren't all that happy about leaving, but they knew that it had to be done. Optimus sighed and reached over to push hair behind Nurannoniel's left ear. "You're going to be missed, Nurann."

"I . . . I know. I just . . . I just don't want to leave you," she whispered, moving closer to her Bonded. Optimus pulled her into a gentle embrace, and she continued. "I want to see your face every morning when I wake up. I want to fall asleep knowing that you're sitting behind me. I . . . I just want . . ."

"Me?"

"Yeah."

The Maximal chuckled kindly, then replied softly, "If you think that I don't feel the same way, then I'll have to kindly say that you're wrong. I really don't want you to leave, any of you humans, but Megatron, Rampage, and Dinobot have a point. Not everyone can handle the stress of dealing with war and battle."

Nurannoniel nodded and looked up at Optimus. He smiled as gently as he could, but was pleasantly surprised when the human planted a soft kiss upon his cheek before settling against his shoulder, content to be with him. A teasing whistle sounded, and they glared at the door. Rattrap winked, and then said, "Yeah, 'ya left da door wide open for a viewin' party ta watch."

"Oh, who the slag is out there with you?" Optimus grumbled.

"My shadow."

The leader scowled at the short spy. "Close the door, Rattrap."

Rattrap did, then smiled as he saw Sapphire peek out of the boys' room door. She grinned, and he darted over to catch the door before it closed fully. Pushing it open, he caught Sapphire up and under one arm, before nodding to the boys. They were playing cards on the floor, watching the spectacle with a semi-bored look. Sapphire crossed her arms and let herself be carried to Rattrap's quarters, where he sat her upon his desk, resting one hand upon either side of her. "So what are 'ya gonna do, eh?"

"Why would I want to do anything?" Sapphire countered, smiling sadly.

"No, I'm ain't talkin' 'bout right now, Sapph. I'm talkin' 'bout if you're gonna go with da others."

The human sighed and nodded. "I . . . I don't want to see you hurt, and I don't want you to see me hurt. I only want you to be safe."

"Doll, war ain't safe."

"Then as safe as you can be."

Rattrap leaned his forehead against her shoulder, feeling her wrap her arms around his neck. He sighed wistfully and whispered, "Do 'ya think dat da others'll take t' dis idea?"

"Maybe. The guys most likely won't, but we can convince them."

"I hope that you're right."

.o.V.o.

"No! I'm not running from this!"

"Oh, for the love of all that is good and holy, Skyfire!" Sinead roared, slamming the palms of her hands upon the map-table, a deep glare upon her features. "I'm not letting anyone stay behind! We have to stay as safe as possible!"

"Meaning that you're deserting your . . . what are they? Your Bonded? You're deserting those who you love the most? Sure, _you_ go right on ahead. I never ran from a fight, and I'm not running away_now_," he hissed back.

"First off, who said that we were deserting them? _They_ suggested that it would be safer for both them _and_ us if we went! If we're together, we can be killed easier, and none of us want that to happen!" She took a deep breath in, trying to cool her temper a little. It was starting to work. Her voice was calmer when she spoke next. "And second off, Skyfire, we're not in this fight. This isn't our war. It's the Beast Warriors', and they have been fighting it well before we came."

"Not until Dinobot was captured," Skyfire snarled out, not caring what he was saying anymore. He was sick and tired of not being able to do anything. He wanted to _fight_. He wanted a brawl that would get his blood pumping. He didn't want to go back out into the wilderness where he could only hunt.

Lady Venom was about to speak up, when Sinead held her hand out, stopping her. After a small bit of silence, Sinead had finally gotten her temper under control, despite what Skyfire had just said. He was angry. Let him be angry.

But before Sinead could say anything, Dinobot stood behind her, his crimson optics locking upon Skyfire's eyes. "Skyfire, I made no mistake, no err, when I willingly let them disarm me and take me in Rattrap's stead. I knew full well that I would be tortured."

"Just tortured?"

"No, not 'just tortured.'" The tall warrior sighed, his face falling from the expression denoting his fierce will to stand up for both himself and Sinead, to something between sadness and melancholy recollection. "Tortured and raped."

Silverbolt and Cheetor stared at Dinobot, neither knowing what to say or think. He didn't look at either of them, keeping his optics upon Skyfire. The young man dropped his gaze, knowing now that he had gone too far. Dannn and Sharpshot exchanged a glance, and they looked to two of the other girls, seeing that they knew of what had happened to Dinobot. It was a silent agreement that they had made, so that the others who looked up to Dinobot wouldn't be hurt by the knowledge of what had really happened.

Cheetor yelled and hit a wall as hard as he could. He started to storm out of the room, when Dinobot grabbed his arm and spun him back around. Gradually, the younger bot looked up at the ex-Predacon, meeting his optics for but a split-second before looking away again. Dinobot put his hands upon Cheetor's shoulders and squeezed gently, regaining the younger's gaze. All the boy could whisper out, was one word. "Why?"

It was Dinobot's turn to look away. "Because they couldn't break me in any other way. Because they knew that it would tear my mind to shreds, leaving me with nothing but for the want of death." He raised his optics to look at Cheetor. "Because they knew that it would hurt the entire team if they did that to me."

"They . . . they . . . Matrix, Dinobot . . ."

The young Maximal started to sob. Rhinox nearly reached over to help Dinobot with him, but the taller bot sighed and looked at Sinead, clearly asking her what to do though his glance. She put an arm around Starath's shoulders and squeezed them slightly. Briefly smiling, Dinobot nodded slowly, then pulled Cheetor into an older-brother type of hug, looking up at Silverbolt as he did so.

"Why didn't you let us know?" Silverbolt asked.

Taking a moment to find the right words, Dinobot replied, "Because I wanted to protect both you and Cheetor. I didn't want . . . I actually would not have been able to deal with answering your questions. I didn't even want to admit to myself what they had done to me." He sighed and glanced down at Cheetor. "Are you listening to this?"

The boy nodded.

"Then know that I was only looking out for you, in a sense."

"And we all helped," Miss Special said. "We all had our reasons why we didn't tell you, and I can bet that most of them are different." She looked at Skyfire, who was still standing at the table, head bowed. "And we all have different reasons for leaving, Skyfire."

He looked up at her, then over at Dinobot, who was still keeping Cheetor in the hug. The human sighed and whispered, "Sorry for exploding like that. Sinead . . . yeah. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that, and said those things. I . . ."

"You don't like running," Cheetor mumbled. Dinobot let the Maximal free, but still rested one hand upon his shoulder. Cheetor looked back at the ex-Predacon, smiled slightly, and then returned his optics to Skyfire. "I can get that. But . . ." he sniffed, still struggling with his emotions, "sometimes you just gotta."

Dinobot patted Cheetor's shoulder once before nearly getting knocked over by Sinead. She laughed and moved so that she was hanging off of his back piggy-back style, her face peeking over his right shoulder. Silverbolt smiled a little, then said, "You've clearly recovered, though."

_Not nearly,_ Dinobot thought. He was hiding it well, and knew that only Sinead saw that he still was broken, unsure, and very, very fractured on the inside.

"Took time and a lotta effort from those of us who knew about it," Sinead replied. She was helping keep the facade that he was fine going.

Dinobot nodded once, then looked at Sapphire. "When are you leaving?"

"Tonight, hopefully. Early tomorrow morning at the latest. We don't need many provisions since we're going to be hunting and all, but . . . some things would be nice. Like real blankets."

Sinead slid off of Dinobot's back while Lady Venom started talking. "We can use the skins for sleeping on, with a cloth blanket on top, maybe? Then we'll need some fire-making equipment–"

"My wool blanket's out," Sinead said. "I can't even find it."

"Oh, sorry," Nurannoniel said, grinning. "I stole it and hemmed the torn side for you."

Sinead gave her a dull look, then rubbed the top of Skyfire's head while the others were discussing what to bring. "Hey, look, you. I'm not all that happy of leaving, either, but it has to be done. One of the Bonded in these pairs have to stay completely safe."

"But I hate running."

"And you're looking to fight. That's why you were arguing with me."

"I can't spar with you guys. I'm not as good with swords. Only shotguns, and you can't use those in a close-combat fight."

"So wrestle with Dannn or Sharpshot," Sinead replied, smiling. "They're as bored as you are."

"Are you sure?"

"Uh, duh? Have you been paying _any_ attention lately?"

"No."

"Oh." Sinead chuckled, clapping his back affectionately. "Okay."

.o.V.o.

It was right before the humans were scheduled to leave. Dinobot looked down at Sinead while they were in his quarters. Since he had been in the best health of his life the past two days, Rhinox agreed to let him back into his room. The warrior was holding Sinead close to him, feeling her sobs shake her shoulders. No sound came from her. Finally, he picked her up and put her in his lap, cradling her. "You're going to do fine out there, Sinead."

"I-I seriously don't want t-to leave you . . ."

"I know. I don't want you to go, either."

They sat in silence until Sinead dried her eyes on the sleeve of her shirt, and rested her head against Dinobot's chest. Simultaneously the two sighed, and Dinobot curled his body closer around his Bonded. "I'll be thinking of you constantly."

"I know."

"I . . . I think that . . . Matrix and Primus. I love you."

.o.V.o.

"Inferno?"

"Hm?" the Predacon looked up from the book he was reading. He smiled at Miss Special, and then moved the chair back a slight bit. "What is it?"

"I . . . we're leaving."

Inferno nodded, then caught Miss Special as she flew into his arms. Somehow he managed to whisper softly, "When will you be back?"

"Oh, I don't know," Miss Special whispered into his shoulder. "But you have to be strong for both of us. I don't know how long it'll be before the others know . . ."

"That you're only pretending to be as strong as you say you are?"

"Yeah . . ."

"They're pretending, too. You saw Sinead this evening. Every time she looked at Dinobot, she was silently telling him that she was crying on the inside."

"You saw this?"

"I saw more that just that, but that isn't for me to say. I also saw how Starath stuck next to Megatron, and how Nurannoniel and Optimus left the informal meeting early. Not to mention that Lady Venom and Rampage showed up almost near the end." He chuckled, and brushed her hair back. "You're just showing that you have a stronger front than they do at the moment."

She nodded and closed her eyes, feeling his arms around her shoulders. They had only minutes left together, and neither wanted to spoil them with unneeded words. Presently, though, Miss Special loosened her arms from her Bonded's neck, and slid off of his lap. His own hands stayed on her shoulders, but they soon held her hands, gripping them just enough to make her look up at his optics. "You'll still be able to speak with me. Just think the words. I'll hear them."

"Will . . . will I be able to hear _you_?"

"Yes. Go. I'll see you when you return."

She nodded, and their hands dropped. Not letting her eyes do as her hands did, she picked her pack up and backed out from the room, feeling a single tear drop down her cheek. Inferno sighed, and whispered, "Safe journeys; safe hunting."

"Thank you," Miss Special whispered. "Don't get yourself hurt."

"I'll try."

"I love you."

The door closed before Inferno could say the same. He ran up to open the door, but when he did, Miss Special was nowhere in sight. He sagged against the doorframe, letting his head fall. "Matrix and Primus, keep her safe."

.o.V.o.

Sinead kissed Dinobot's forehead as he slept, then rested her cheek against his. Swallowing, she stood, but leaned back over him, rested her hands on either side of his head, memorizing every line of his face. Every detail that the television show didn't fit in, didn't reveal, she saw, and made note of it. The way that his mouth was set in sleep, the deep way that he breathed, the pattern of the stripes on his arms . . . everything was made a note of, filed away in her mind.

She leaned closer, then softly set her lips against his in a goodbye kiss. He sighed and turned over, curling slightly. Sinead brushed his hair away from his face, then released a sigh that came from the very soles of her feet. The young woman picked her bag up and left the room, silent. She met up with Sapphire, who looked just as bad as she thought she, herself, did. Sapphire looked away from Sinead, and the slightly-older girl put her arm around Sapphire's shoulders, hugging her in a side-hug as a sister would. They saw the others ahead, each as silent as the next. The group left by the elevator from the cargo hold, and set out towards the forest behind the rocky lands that lay around the _Axalon_.

.o.V.o.

Dinobot watched Sinead go, then turned to see Rattrap and Megatron behind him. His shoulders fell, and he swallowed a few times before saying hoarsely, "I . . . I couldn't even tell her that . . ."

"She knows," Megatron said softly, not bothering to hide how tortured he was at the fact that Starath had left with the others. He didn't like being without her. "They all know."

"I wish that I could have walked with her just on those first steps."

"Da first steps? Choppuhface, don't 'ya know dat dose are da hardest ones o' all? She had ta do dat 'erself. She knew dat, too. If you walked with 'er . . . she'd never get anywhere. Neither would da others. Dey'd all follow 'er back," Rattrap said, sighing and leaning against the window-frame.

The three looked back out the window at the nine dark forms retreating into the darkness of pre-dawn. Megatron rested his hand upon the top of the window, then leaned forward, sighing. "Starath didn't stop crying. She fell asleep that way last night."

"Sinead was the same."

"Yeah, Sapph too."

The three looked at each other, and Dinobot smiled slightly as Rampage, Inferno, and Optimus came in. They all looked worse for wear, and none were that happy. Rattrap looked at them as well, then asked, "Did dey cry?"

"Yeah," the three chorused.

"They really _are_ the sisters that Sinead calls them as. She calls them her sisters-in-spirit." Dinobot turned once more, and saw them disappear into the forest. "They'll look after each other. I . . . I believe that they will be fine."


	6. Regaining Part of a Stolen Time

Stolen Virtue  
By: Sinead

_**Author's Note:**__ This game that is mentioned is called "Go." It's originally from China, but is more widely known in Japan, where it's now recognized as coming from. I got sucked into it when I started reading "Hikaru No Go" a while back. It's a fast-moving tile game that's kinda like checkers and kinda like Othello, but really, it isn't like either of those two games __at all__. I try to explain it as best as I can, but really, look it up on the web and see for yourself. You can also play it on Yahoo Games. grins I'll play you some time! Onegaishimasu!_

Part Six: Regaining Part of a Stolen Time

.o.V.o.

"Will you get off of my blanket?!"

"Make me! Mine's wet!"

"You're the one who didn't roll it up right!"

"So?!"

"So get off of mine!"

"Try and make me!"

"Oh, you're so dead."

"Miss Special and Dannn? Will you two keep it down, please?" Nurannoniel asked. "And Dannn, your blanket is nearly dry."

Miss Special roughly pushed Dannn away from her, then pulled the deer-fur blanket around her shoulders, almost two full weeks since they had left the Maximal base. Sinead, Sharpshot, and Lady Venom walked into the cave and went straight over to the fire, each shivering. Starath looked at them. "Well?"

"We think that Blackarachnia's dead, as well as Quickstrike. Either that, or they're smart enough to stay away from the Maximals," Sharpshot said.

"And at the base?"

"Quiet. Dinobot, Megatron and Rattrap are out hunting Inferno and Waspinator in one direction, and Rampage is off in another direction with Miss Special's Inferno as backup," Lady Venom chattered out.

Sinead rose and started pulling off her outer layers. When she had one layer of clothing on, she hung the rest up to dry then sat in front of the fire again, holding shaking hands out. "I hate the rain when it's chilly like this. Any venison left?"

"Yeah; here." Skyfire tossed a chunk over to her, and she started chewing on it immediately. Skyfire sighed, then asked in a low tone, "When will we be able to return?"

"To the base? About–"

"No. I mean return _home_. Back in our own time."

That silenced everyone and caused them to look at him. Sinead bowed her head, swallowed, then replied, "I don't know. We never knew how we got here in the first place, remember?"

"We just . . . _came_," Miss Special said softly. "We had the feeling that we were going somewhere, and so we packed stuff into the largest bag that we could carry without it being cumbersome."

"We found our weapons in our hands the moment we woke up, too, and knew exactly how to use them," Nurannoniel said, smiling, fingering the light sword that fit her personality and elven build perfectly. "And we found each other."

"But still . . . I want to go home," Skyfire said quietly.

A soft chorus of agreements followed that statement.

Sapphire knew that the day could only get worse if they continued to think like they were. She drew lines in the dirt, then tugged on Sinead's sleeve. "Pull out those round tile-things that you play that game with. Teach me."

"Huh?"

"You know, the Japanese game? Like Othello?"

"Oh!" She ran over and pulled the two small leather bag of stones and a folded board out of her traveling bag, and then sat back down by Sapphire and next to the fire. "I'll take out a handful. You have to guess if I have an even amount or an odd amount of white stones in my hand. If you get it right, then you're black."

"So all I say is 'even' or 'odd'?"

"Yep."

"Okay . . . odd!"

Sinead dropped the stones on the opened board, counted them, then smiled. "Sorry. Even. Eight."

"Oh. Okay. So that means that I'm white?"

"Yep."

"Hey! I wanna watch you play Go!"

The two laughed. Sinead handed Sapphire the bag of white stones, then pulled a single black stone out of her bag, held between the tips of her first and second fingers. With a snapping motion, she set it upon the 4,7 point upon the Go board. "Okay. That's point 4,7. Remember to always count the outermost line as the number one. This is a nineteen-by-nineteen board. You can go anywhere, but the point of the game is to gain as much territory as is possible. There's also a way of gaining points in a way called 'capturing stones.' I'll show that to you when it comes up."

"Do I have to put the stone down like the way that you just did?"

Sinead ginned. "That took me over a month to figure out how to do."

Starath peeked over Sinead's shoulder. "That's the game that you played with Dinobot."

"And got my butt whipped in when I taught him only that morning? Yeah."

Easy chuckles echoed kindly in the cave, and Sapphire placed her stone in the opposite corner from Sinead, looking up to see if she had done the right thing. Sinead nodded, then put her stone in another corner, and the game moved on. Then, with one swift stroke, she put one black stone down, and pointed to a group of three stones that were surrounded by black. "See that? Those are captured stones. They count for one point each."

"What happens with them?"

"I take them, and put them over here, away from the game."

"Like checkers?"

"Almost, except that you can't get them back. That's why you have a large amount of stones. There's enough to cover fully half of the board, and _then_ some. Now. See here? This one stone is surrounded on three sides by your white stones. If you cut that last way of escape, as it were, off, then you capture the stone."

Sapphire did so, then picked up the black stone. "This is a captured stone?"

"Yep. But look at that corner. Remember how we kinda started to ignore that area, since no more moves could be made? Those are 'dead' stones. They have no more moves left. These over here, with outlets all over the place, are 'live' stones. You can still move with them, and try to capture both them and more territory."

"Uh . . . okay."

"Here, it's my turn, so . . ."

Sinead put another stone down, and Skyfire pointed, saying, "Go here!"

"No helping!" Sinead said, slapping his hand away playfully. Then, plain as day, she heard a soft call in her mind, her soul. She looked away from the game, then stood and ran out of the caves and into Dinobot's arms. He brought her back in, followed by Inferno and Rattrap. Miss Special and Sapphire both ran to their Bonded, and the group were soon brought back to the _Axalon_.

.o.V.o.

Three sharp sneezes followed one right after the other, and Dinobot tossed another blanket over Sinead before toweling her hair again. He smiled at her weary groan, and said, "You exhausted yourself. And now you're sick."

"Am not. Take care to notice those yellow flowers blooming out there? I'm allergic to pollen."

"It's downpouring."

"Doesn't matter."

"Right."

Sinead glared up at him, then sighed and pulled the blankets tighter around her. Finally, Dinobot pulled the towel away from her head, and crouched to look at her eyes. Neither said anything or moved for a long while, until Sinead rested her forehead against his. He picked her up and gently deposited her upon a soft-mattress bed, piling even more blankets and a fur upon her. She swallowed, then reached up to touch his cheek. Dinobot smiled, and whispered, "I have watch, but the door will be locked."

"Wait."

"What is it?"

"Did you get them? Inferno, Waspinator, Blackarachnia and Quickstrike?"

Dinobot nodded slowly. "Blackarachnia was the last one to be killed. We had gotten to all the others within three days, but she was the hardest to track down and kill." He rested his hand upon her neck lightly, then said, "But don't trouble your mind over that. Everyone's safe, now."

.o.V.o.

"Wake up."

Sinead started awake, blinking around to try to get her bearings. She was in a cream-colored room, with posters . . . anime posters . . . what?!

She looked at the door. Her mother called through it, "School?"

"Oh. Yeah. I'm . . . I'm up."

Was it all a dream?

.o.V.o.

Study. Finally. Sinead typed like a madgirl into the computer, opening an instant messenger service, seeing Sapphire on. _Hey, Sapph._

_Sinead! I had the strangest dream._

_It wasn't a dream._

For one long minute, Sapphire stared at the words. Then, quickly, she typed out, _How do you know that we had the same dream?_

Sinead swallowed, then replied, _I have two long, diagonal scars upon my back. And I'm slightly more tanned than I should be in the winter._

_It really happened?_

_Yeah. Can't you feel the Bond?_

Sapphire rested one hand upon her chest and closed her eyes. Yes. She could. And her Bonded was crying somewhere. He was lonely. He had no will to go on, but . . .

He could feel her, too. She sent him a mental "I love you," and typed back to Sinead, _Yeah. I can feel it._

Sinead looked at the time, then typed, _I don't know where they are, or even if they're still in the past. Dinobot's . . . he's losing his temper a lot more than he should, and he's angry. I want to go to him, wherever he is._

Sapphire nodded. _We'll find them. Don't worry._

_Bell just rang. I have to go to lunch._

_Right. Take care, sis._

_You too. Later._

Sapphire watched Sinead's online status change, and then sighed. So it hadn't been a dream after all.

.o.V.o.

"Yo, sis! There's a phone call for you!"

The girl picked the extension in the den up, and then said, "Hello?"

"Starath?"

"Nurann."

"I just got an email from Sapphire."

"So did I."

"She said that Sinead has those scars on her back."

"I'm reading it now."

Both paused for a moment, then asked each other at the same time, "You think that it's real?"

"Yeah," Starath replied, her voice wavering over that one syllable.

"Me too."

.o.V.o.

Dannn read the email, and the looked at the date and time it had been sent. Yesterday at three-PM. Cursing, he grabbed his wallet and keys, then locked the door after him as he left the apartment. He ran to a subway, taking the yellow line into southern Manhattan, then into Times Square. He walked into the McDonald's, and saw Sinead with another girl there, eating. Sinead jumped up and hugged him, swallowing the bite of burger she had just taken, before ruffling his hair. "Dannn!"

He grinned, and said, "Why didn't you give me more notice that you were coming?"

"Just found out yesterday that I was being dragged in here."

"Gee, dunno why you'd want to be here."

Sinead laughed, and introduced him to StarGazer. She nodded to him, then looked to Sinead. "So you gonna tell me why you haven't worn that tank-top that I got you, and are only wearing those bulky, ugly t-shirts?"

Dannn looked at the girl he had often annoyed in the Beast Wars. She rolled her eyes at StarGazer, and replied, "Because I don't want to right now."

"Really."

"Yes, really!"

"It's like, what, ninety out there, and you're wearing that _thing_ with shorts!"

"So?!"

Dannn grinned. "So that's how you knew how to deal with me, huh?"

"Yeah, kinda."

"What?" SatrGazer asked, shoving a few more fries into her mouth. "What, now?"

"He's one of the Beast Wars authors."

"Ohh. Okay. So. What's next?"

"Dunno. What do you want to do?"

"Can we go to that park?"

"Whatever. Hey, I'm going to get a Flurry. You want one?" Sinead replied, looking at Dannn then StarGazer.

Dannn caught the glance, then said, "I'm actually going to get a burger first."

"I want an M&M one!" StarGazer said, irrepressible as always.

Sinead nodded and followed Dannn down the stairs to get in line. He looked at her, then rested his hand upon her shoulder. "How are things going? I heard that the other girls want to go back and somehow bring their Bonded back with them."

"How can we when we don't even really know for sure how we got there in the first place? _Or_ back, for that matter." Sinead replied quietly, rubbing at the bridge of her nose. "I mean, I'm about ready to cry at any given time. Everything that I do, I remembered how Dinobot would do something else. I eat at one of these places, and I remember having a fire in some woods and smoking venison. I remember the hunt. I remember so many things that seem so right, and then I look around me, and . . ."

"You wonder why we've made our lives so complex."

"Exactly." Sinead looked up at Dannn, then away again. "And seeing you in actual street clothes are kinda of a shock. We all wore jeans, camouflage and furs while we were there."

Dannn sighed and said, "I miss seeing you all every day. I miss annoying Miss Special. I miss making fun of you girls when you got really sappy with your Bonded. I miss the life that we had gotten used to."

Sinead nodded, agreeing silently. Dinobot was preparing for sleep, wherever he was, and was thinking of her. She reassured him as best as she could, and felt him curl up around her favorite deerskin. She tried the best that she could to comfort him, but jumped when Dannn touched her elbow. "Hey, your turn."

"O-oh. Sorry. Hi, yes, um, I'll have two M&M flurries, please."

"Anything else?" the lady asked.

"No, that's it, thanks."

Sinead payed for the two ice-cream desserts, then went back up to the second level to sit across from StarGazer. Dannn came up a moment later, and sat next to Sinead. StarGazer looked from one to the other, and then leaned forward, teasing, "Did you two kiss?"

Dannn choked on his burger. Sinead hit his back until he could breathe normally again. "Star, that's not right."

"Hey, only wondering. You gave him one of those 'follow me' looks, and then left me all on my onesies."

"That's because I wanted to ask her something." Dannn cleared his throat, taking a deep draft of his soda. "She looked at me because I looked at her. That's all." He blinked. "Oh, and have you heard anything from Sharp lately?"

"Nah," Sinead replied, leaning back in her chair. "Sapph said that she was getting in touch with those of us who . . . uh . . . yeah. _That_ group."

"Right, right."

"Why?"

"I haven't heard from him since about two weeks ago."

"For online authors, two weeks isn't that long of a time," StarGazer pointed out.

"Shorty, you have ice-cream on your chin. And Sharpshot has been going through some rough times lately."

"You still haven't given me an answer about the shirt, Oh Fearless Leader," StarGazer prodded.

Sinead sighed, turned around slightly, and pulled the right sleeve up just that bit to show one end of one of the scars on her back. "That's why."

"When . . . when did you get that," StarGazer asked, unable to really add a questioning lilt to the sentence.

"Two weeks ago. I'll explain in a while, where there aren't as many people around."

.o.V.o.

"That's one nasty, scar, Choppuhface."

"I know. It's about a foot long, and about a quarter of an inch wide. The second one parallels it about four, maybe five inches away to its left."

Dannn was walking on Sinead's left side, while StarGazer was on her right. The blonde looked at Sinead's face, then asked, "How did you get it? And how has it healed in only two weeks?"

"I can't answer everything, StarGazer. But I got it while protecting someone. I was knocked into something, and the scabbard I had been wearing upon my back dug in."

"She did a rather brave thing. I would-a peed myself if I had seen who she had seen and fought against," Dannn said, paling slightly.

"No you wouldn't have," Sinead said, laughing. "You would have shoved that information to the back of your mind and unleashed that nasty gun of yours upon him."

"Well, yeah. But I'm just that kinda guy. You know, the heroic type that gets all the beautiful ladies who will fawn over my every word."

Sinead pushed him into a puddle while her friend just stared at her. There was something very _not right_ about that scar, or the way that Sinead had been moving and doing things in the last few weeks. She moved silently, and at times, even dangerously. There was that way that she always was looking for something, for someone, trying to find that missing person in the group. And when she stopped moving, she stopped all movement, predator-like. Something had happened over one weekend, and it was something that StarGazer wasn't sure she could deal with.

.o.V.o.

Miss Special and Nurannoniel met up with Starath a week later. They were in Boston, as well as all the other authors. The catch? Nobody knew where each other was. They sat on a bench, and looked at Nurannoniel's watch. Starath sighed. "Do either of you have a cell phone?"

Miss Special pulled hers out and dialed the number that Starath gave her. A familiar voice answered. "Hello?"

"Sinead, where in heck are you?"

"Actually, I'm in heaven, so . . ."

"Smart alec."

"I'm at Quincy Market."

"Where's that?"

"Where are you?" Sinead countered.

"Ahm . . . there's Borders right behind us . . ."

"Awesome. It's like three stories tall?"

"Yeah, that's it."

"We'll be right there."

"Who's 'we'?"

"Who else? Everyone but Sharpshot."

"Still can't find him?"

"He just arrived at Logan. It'll take him about three hours to get to his hotel. He'll give me a call from there, and then we'll be going back there."

"Where's he staying?"

"Hotel 8 in Weymouth, like the rest of you. It's right down the street from me."

"'Kay."

"Don't move. We'll be right there."

Miss Special turned the phone off and then sighed and slouched in the bench. The first person to run over was Lady Venom, and she plopped herself in Nurannoniel's lap. Sapphire hugged Starath, and Sinead sat next to Miss Special, who unexpectedly hugged the other author. Skyfire and Dannn both stood behind the bench and ruffled the hair of all the girls, mussing it up. They were nearly all together again.

.o.V.o.

**Earth, Prehistoric Times**

.o.V.o.

Dinobot and Megatron were watching each other silently. Megatron shook his head, and said, "I don't know. Starath's awfully happy about something, but I can't seem to get what it is."

"Hah! Lame-o's!" Rattrap said, sitting on a stool. "I know what it is."

"And that would be?" Rampage asked testily.

"Dey're all back t'gether. Member how dey said dat dey all lived in different parts o' da world? Dey reunited."

Inferno sighed, and rubbed at his forehead. "I feel as if a part of me were missing . . ."

"We all feel like that," Optimus said wearily.

Dinobot stood abruptly and left the group. Rattrap watched him, then waited until he heard the distant closure of a door. "He's never gonna be da same unless we get Sinead back t' 'im. An' Sapphire's noticin' da same about Sinead."

"The question is, Rattrap, how?" Megatron implored, spreading his hands in helplessness. "They know not how they came, and they know not how they returned, no."

Rampage sighed and shook his head. "I know that I'm going to go back to old habits if I am not in close contact with Lady Venom soon. I do not want to hurt any of you, since that would hurt my Lady."

"We're_all_ gonna do thin's we'll regret if we don't get our Bonded back to us."

"Or," Inferno said, optics distant, "unless they get _us_ back to _them_."


	7. Cheating Fate's Hold

Stolen Virtue  
By: Sinead

Part Seven: Cheating Fate's Hold

.o.V.o.

Dinobot came out of the battle-trance he had slipped into while using the battle-simulation room. He was instantly aware of someone behind him, silent and unmoving. Turning slowly, he saw Rampage there. The Transmetal said nothing. Dinobot didn't expect him to. They could hardly speak to each other without starting an unintentional argument, or, worse yet, an honest-to-Primus brawl. And Dinobot was not the type to start an argument with Rampage in this time and place. The crab now had his full Spark back, and he was more dangerous than ever before. The fact that he had Bonded, making him faster and stronger, had nothing to do with his aggression. It was that Lady Venom wasn't in this time and place, and the separation from their respective Bonded was starting to wear tempers thin.

The Maximal bowed slightly from the waist, acknowledging Rampage with respect. The crab did the same, then indicated the room. Dinobot returned his sword to subspace before walking closer. Rampage moved away from the door and Dinobot left, closing it after him. Optimus was on the other side. Dinobot nodded again, sighing. "I have hardly any control left, Primal. It is nothing short of a miracle that Megatron, Rampage and I can speak though body language and not kill one another."

"I'd say that your letting Rattrap live is a miracle all in itself."

Dinobot shrugged, then quickly quit his leader's presence, feeling a bloodthirsty urge rise to the surface. He quickly returned to his quarters, locking the door. Silently, he walked to his bed, then looked past it, through the window above it. The landscape was turning green again, starting to recover from the Quantum surge. Rattrap called in, "Dinobot?"

"I'm liable to kill, vermin," Dinobot replied levelly. "Please, whatever you do, don't enter."

Rattrap's sigh was filled with pain, his voice defeated. "Yeah, I . . . I know. But . . . look, Choppuhface, I just wanted t' tell 'ya dat I'm nevuh gonna stop bein' 'ya pal, 'kay?"

"What do you mean by that?" Dinobot asked, bloodthirst starting to abate at the words.

"Dat I know how you feel. Dat I ain't gonna blame 'ya for anythin' dat you do."

Dinobot sighed. His voice was low when he finally was able to speak again. "But I will end up blaming myself."

There was silence for a moment upon Rattrap's end. Dinobot opened the door, and looked at the shorter Maximal. "Rattrap."

"Yeah."

"If . . . if I start . . . if I go berserker . . ." the ex-Predacon sighed. "Take me out. I won't die. Sinead's safe, so there is no feasible way that I will go permanently off-line." They locked optics upon optics. Dinobot continued in a lower tone. "I do not want to endanger anyone."

"That's why you've been silent. Slag it, Dinobot . . ." Rattrap sighed deeply, looking away.

"What is it?"

"I want Sapphire."

"As I want Sinead," Dinobot replied quietly, his voice softening further at the name of his Bonded. He wished that she were beside him for the thousandth time that day. And it was just barely noontime.

Rattrap nodded, and said, "I have to get goin'. Patrol. Even though I don't know why, since da Preds 're our buddies, now."

"Alien devices," Dinobot replied. His optics narrowed slightly as he tried to bar emotion back again. He was barely hanging onto his control. This would soon end up badly if he didn't figure out some way to calm himself down. "Like the one that took Airazor and Tigatron."

Rattrap shrugged, then started walking away. Yet he said one parting remark over his shoulder.

"We'll get our Bonded back, Dino-butt. You just wait. We'll find a way. And dere even might be a way t' get Tigatron and Airazor back, too."

.o.V.o.

**Present Day Earth**

.o.V.o.

"Sharpshot!"

"Aww, can't I watch?"

"Of course not!"

"Why?"

"Because we said so!"

"But . . ."

"Dannn, don't you even _think_ about entering this."

"C'mon, girls! What harm can one peek do?"

"You're not watching the movie!"

"Why?"

"Because it's a chick-flick!"

". . . so?"

Sinead looked at Sapphire, who was laughing harder than the rest. Miss Special replied, "Dannn, we want girl time. Can you just leave?"

"You guys are cruel," Skyfire replied.

"Go watch 'Freddy vs. Jason,'" Lady Venom said. "I mean, the weather and all is just _perfect_ for the mood. I hope it starts thundering out."

Nurannoniel laughed and said, "Remember to say 'I love you' to the screen when Gary Chalk comes on for me!"

"Ew! No!" Dannn said, laughing.

Sinead opened the door, skillfully blocking their view in. "So you boys are getting frisky out here?"

The three flushed crimson. Sharpshot replied, "We're bored."

"All right. Look, time for you guys to see the western part of the state." She looked back at the others. "Who's up for a road trip?"

The idea was greeted with great enthusiasm.

.o.V.o.

Seven hours later landed them by a small, family-owned cottage in Berkshire County on the outskirts of North Adams, with no rain. It had cleared up, but not without a few parting shots of thunder to satisfy both Lady Venom and Sinead. Speaking of whom, the befreckled young woman was in the process of extensively airing the cottage out. Starath could hear her sneezes as she encountered the dust. Nurannoniel came out, hair slightly greyed and sneezing violently. Finally, with a burp, the sneezes subsided. Miss Special came out next and drank water, easing the irritation. Sharpshot and Skyfire were next, quickly followed by Lady Venom and Dannn. They all waited, hearing Sinead and Sapphire's sneezes. Puffs of dust left the windows, marking Sinead's location, and finally a breeze kicked up, going through the house and exiting the other side with a cloud of dust.

Sinead and Sapphire came out, hair completely grey, eyes shut tight as they sneezed.

Once there was no more dust leaving the leeward side of the cabin, the group brought their belongings in and settled them in one of the two rooms. Sinead caught Dannn's elbow as he tried to go into the room with Miss Special. "Boy, she'll kill you."

"Oh. Right."

By this time, it was nearly sundown. Sinead ushered the authors back into the van, with quite a few protests, and brought them up to the top of Mount Greylock, the point of highest elevation in Massachusetts. Together, they watched the sun dip beyond the wooded horizon. Miss Special sighed, remembering when she and Inferno had watched the same natural wonder in silence. She used to lean back against his torso, feeling each breath enter and exit him.

She felt arms embrace her, and she came back to herself, seeing Sinead's shoulder. A drop of wet fell from Miss Special's nose. Tears? Why was she crying? _How_ could she cry? She was stronger than that. She didn't need to cry right now. Nurannoniel and Starath and Lady Venom and Sapphire could, but . . . no. She shouldn't cry. She needed to be strong for the rest of her friends. They needed to see that strength, so that_they_ could be strong.

But . . . why _couldn't_ she cry? Why not, indeed? She was human, too. She was stressed, not having Inferno around her. She was sad that she had come back without even telling him. Like she _could_ have told him? She didn't know that she would be brought back to her time and place. That hurt. Not being around Inferno hurt.

So if it hurt so much, it was all right to release the hurt . . . wasn't it?

What_was_ right, anymore?

Starath and Sapphire gathered around Miss Special as well, each trying to comfort her the best that they could. Finally, she stopped crying and looked up at Sinead, seeing that she, too, was shedding tears. Without bothering to wipe her own, Sinead gathered her sleeve in one hand, and as carefully as she could, wiped Miss Special's cheek. The Californian author sighed, then sniffed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have–"

"Oh, nonsense," Sinead said in an old-fashioned tone. "Humans have tear ducts for a reason. You're human, too. You're just like the rest of us." Sinead looked somewhat bashful. "To be truthful, I thought that we were the weird ones for a while, each crying and trying not to be seen crying, while you never cried."

"But . . ."

"But you thought that you have to be the strong warrior that shouldn't show pain and longing," Sapphire said.

"Yeah, I guess."

Sinead chuckled. "Well, a _very_ influential person told me once that it takes _real_ strength to cry. And," she said, smiling slightly but kindly, "warriors can cry, too. You see me crying, right? I consider myself every bit the warrior as Dinobot is. Just in slightly different fields. I find that crying is an emotional reset button."

Miss Special sniffed again, and Sinead then took the time to wipe at her own face, smiling. With a sigh, Miss Special said, "I just don't like crying. Least of all in front of people."

Sinead smiled sardonically. "I've gotten tired of crying all by myself. It gets real lonely." She linked her arm through Miss Special's. "Come on, you. The guys went to the lodge over there with the rest of the girls. They should be eating. My treat?"

"You're already treating us to your cottage!" Starath said.

"Yeah, well, whatever. After this, there should be some movie that you'd all like to see."

"Sinead!"

"What?!"

"Stop it!"

"What am I doing?!"

"Being too selfless again, that's what!"

"So?! I like getting and doing stuff for you guys!"

"Argh!"

"Deal with it!"

.o.V.o.

**Time Unknown, Place Unknown**

.o.V.o.

Rattrap came to with a groan, feeling as if he had been in a wrestling match with Dinobot again, with no holds barred. The others were also waking up, and none of them looked any better than Rattrap felt. Dinobot was still out. Rattrap reached over, and shook the larger bot's shoulder. "Yo, lazy-slag."

Dinobot shot upwards with a muffled scream, optics wild.

Rattrap scurried back a few paces on his skidplate, his own optics wide and one hand held upwards. "Woah, woah, woah, _woah_ here!"

The larger Maximal slowly looked at his companion, rational thinking beginning to show behind the haunted look around his optics. Rattrap crawled back to sit beside his friend, then whispered, "Was is a nightmare?"

Dinobot nodded, considerably shaken, his hands going up to his head to cradle it. All the progress that had been made before Sinead had left was halfway undone, the anxiety and pain returning two-fold. "Of . . . before my Bonding."

Rattrap hissed a curse. He knew what his friend was going through. "Dis is da fourth one, Choppuhface, in as many nights."

"I know that, vermin."

Optimus came over, then asked, "You two are all right?"

Dinobot didn't bother to hide his emotions as he looked up to his leader. Optimus winced, then rested his hand briefly upon Dinobot's shoulder. "Rampage was the first one up, after myself and Megatron. He's already done a reconnaissance patrol, and has found some sort of shelter. Doesn't look used, but we should take precautions nonetheless."

Dinobot stood, then said, "Let's go."

.o.V.o.

**Present Day Earth**

.o.V.o.

Sinead popped the DVD in and sat back on the couch with her friends. They had decided that a movie out wasn't that good of an idea since there wasn't really anything good out at the moment, and besides,_nobody_ was agreeing with each other on which one would be the best to see. The episode "Coming of the Fuzors" was chosen instead of starting at "Aftermath," and they settled in for a night of watching Beast Wars, comparing the real thing to the pitiful reproduction that Mainframe had tried to do. At least they got the basic stuff right, and for a common fan, that's all that really mattered.

Not so for those who had Bonded to the actual thing.

.o.V.o.

**Time Unknown, Place Unknown**

.o.V.o.

Dinobot saw the small house, then looked at Optimus. He just had to stop hiding and _do_ something for the first time in days. So he was going to go and take over Rattrap's job of spying. "I'm going to look."

"Wasn't going to stop you, but if you would take someone with you, please? Looks like this place was occupied after all," Optimus replied in a voice as quiet as Dinobot's. They had been looking for a place to

Dinobot looked to Rattrap, who nodded. They crept up to the first window, seeing light flicker dimly upon the ceiling and walls. With movements as fluid as any velociraptor's should be, Dinobot peeked into the window, and immediately had to hold onto Rattrap for support.

.o.V.o.

**Present Day Earth**

.o.V.o.

Movement caught upon the peripheral of Sapphire's vision. Slowly, so as not to alarm her friends, she turned her head towards the window. And saw the eye of some creature looking in at her, taking on an odd sheen from the light of the television set. She leaned closer to her friend, whispering "Sinead? Something's outside."

Sinead was on her feet and out the door faster than anything else could be said. At the door she had grabbed her pellet rifle, pumping it to get air-pressure into it before leaving the mudroom. Leaving the house and turning the corner, she brandished it fiercely at the two crouched creatures underneath the window that looked into the living room, both watching her warily. She dropped the gun and held onto the side of the house, unable to speak. Arms encircled her, and the owner of those arms fell to his knees, sobbing bitterly, silently. Holding his head to her shoulder, Sinead sighed and whispered, "You're safe, Dinobot. You're safe." She turned her head and called back into the cottage, "Sapph! Get out here!"

Sapphire did, taking the same precautions as Sinead only grabbing a hardwood walking staff until she saw Rattrap. The others were soon to follow, and each Bonded was reunited with their other half.

.o.V.o.

The next morning, none of the girls wanted to go out to explore the woods with the boys. What was worse, was that the boys _knew_ that the girls had a legitimate reason, and that was their Bonded. Dannn, as persistent as ever, tugged on Sinead's elbow with both hands. "C'_mon_, Sinead! You gotta get up!"

Sinead promptly twisted her arm in such a way that Dannn fell backwards and landed upon his rear. The young woman gave a satisfied smirk then burrowed back into Dinobot's secure hold upon her, sighing as she relaxed within his arms. Dannn "humphed" and turned to look at Miss Special. Both the young woman and her Predacon Bonded glared at him, promising him some sort of painful death if he touched either one of them.

Finally, Dannn walked out to Skyfire and Sharpshot, shrugging. "They're all hopeless."

They crept past the still-sleeping people in the living room to get outside, where Cheetor, Rhinox, Silverbolt, Waspinator and Quickstrike were waiting for them. Skyfire sighed, shrugged, and said, "Everyone else is intent upon sleeping in. Looks like we're on our own."

"But we can't be seen, remember?" Rhinox said. "We're spotted, and . . . well, we saw what you were watching last night. And explaining about who we _really_ are took a lot outta those who took it upon themselves to explain."

Silverbolt nodded, and added, "I should be able to scent out if there are any near."

"Well," Sharpshot muttered, "that's _one_ good thing, I guess."

.o.V.o.

Lady Venom awoke to feel Rampage carefully brushing her hair away from her face. His emerald optics smiled at her, and she could feel his confidence and affection towards her radiate through the connection between their souls. The pair had elected to sleep outside, but not without Rampage insisting that she bring her blankets with her. She reached over to pull herself upon her massive chest, then prop herself up on her elbows. Smiling in a sleepy fashion, she mumbled, "Good morning."

"For the first time in over a month, I would have to agree with you," he replied kindly, his voice low, deep in his sincerity.

"Thanks for making me feel special."

"As always."

"Sarcastic beast."

"Warmhearted brat."

Lady Venom blushed, then sighed, sitting up completely, and looking over at the cottage. Smells of breakfast were starting to waft towards them. Eggs, bacon, and other various scents came out through the open window. "Looks like Sinead and Sapphire are cooking breakfast again."

"Mmm . . . any meat involved?"

"You'd be better off hunting. Mind that you clean up after. Not everyone's as used to seeing blood all over you as I am," she replied, getting off of him and walking towards the cottage, hearing him whisper soft endearments through their Bond.

Rampage picked her blankets up and followed her, handing them to her when she turned to face him. He rested his hand upon the top of her head, before letting it gently slide to rest upon her shoulder. "Eat well. I'll be back soon."

"I know you will, you sap."

.o.V.o.

Sinead knocked upon the door that lead into the room she had shared with Dinobot, Sapphire, Rattrap, Miss Special, and Inferno the night before. Everyone but Dinobot was up and about, helping with breakfast. "Dinobot?"

No answer. She shrugged to Sapphire, who turned back to flipping the pancakes, and then entered the room, closing the door after quietly. When she turned to face the room, she blanched, thinking that her eyes were _clearly_ lying to her. Her face went from dead white to pure red as she realized that she had been staring. Averting her eyes quickly, she whispered, "Is that you?"

"Yes."

"You're stark naked. I'm going to find something for you to wear."

Turning, she would have opened the door again, but a hand kept it firmly shut, his body behind her, close, but not touching. "You're afraid."

She closed her eyes. "Sort of."

"Why? I don't understand it. I can feel that you're afraid of something . . . but it is elusive, I feel, even to _you_."

Sinead shook her head, then looked up at the human face of her Bonded, her mind trying very, very hard to come up with an answer to this new predicament. His medium-length black hair had traveled over, but his eyes . . . they were . . . blue. But it was hard to tell in the darkness what shade, and even then, it seemed as if they were shifting from one shade to the next. Sinead swallowed, then answered in a whisper. "Lust. I fear lust, if I must fear anything at all."

.o.V.o.

Sapphire heard Sinead screech her name around noon of the next day. She ran back out of the room they shared, face completely red, and pointed to Sapphire. "Will you teach that boy some _modesty_ for crying out loud?! I'm in no mood to see another guy bare for a long while! Especially one that does not belong to me!"

Dinobot looked around the side of the couch, blinking crimson optics at the woman he loved. "Excuse me? Who belongs to who, now?"

"Shut up. You know what I mean."

"I'm not letting up on this one, Sinead."

With an irritated sigh, Sinead half-glared at her Bonded. "You belong to me, as I belong to you. Happy? But, Sapph, the issue still stands!"

Sapphire was laughing too hard. Sinead's shoulders sagged a fraction, until she threw her hands up and stormed outside. Dinobot shook his head. "Fine. I'll take care of– Matrix and Primus, Maximal! Get something on you!"

Rattrap blinked. "Huh?"

"Look down."

"Oh."

"At least get those . . . what are they . . . boxers? Why the Pit do they have such ridiculous names for their clothing?" Dinobot shook his head, stood, and finished, "Just get something on. You're disturbing the population again. I'm going after Sinead."

He left the cottage and looked at the clearing in front of him. Everyone else had the advantage of having a human mode, not just the Bonded. It was a definite blessing, and with good reason behind it, but nobody understood what it meant, how it came, and where the ability to shift and change to a third, and for some, fourth form was still unknown. Rampage, a tall, dark-haired and darker-eyed man, looked up at a robot Dinobot. "You're forgetting what we had agreed to do when in a place where we can be seen by anyone."

With a snort, Dinobot shifted to his human mode and asked, "Seen Sinead?"

Rampage grinned at the attitude that was given. "Went that way in a tizzy. What happened?"

"Rattrap has a rather odd sense of modesty. I'll leave it at that."

"Ah. That again. Will it be my turn to remind him next?"

"Negative. Primal's."

The human Dinobot strode off towards a minor river that flowed past the clearing that the cabin was located in, sensing rather than seeing Sinead by the edge of the small waterfall that was off to the left of the clearing, shielded from view by a small copse of trees. She looked up over her shoulder at him when he reached her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I dealt with it."

She looked away again, her voice soft. "Thank you."

"You're really that modest, aren't you?"

"I've . . . uh . . . yeah. Sorta."

Dinobot rested his chin upon the top of her head, just embracing her tenderly. "You're not into giving me a real answer as of late. Why?"

"You're full of questions."

"And you're full of answers at the moment."

"Dinobot . . ."

"Aah, Sinead," he said through a sigh, pressing his cheek to the side of her head. "If you wish it to be so, then I will digress."

She shifted to look up at him with a small, stern look. "No, Dinobot, don't you _ever_ give up. I don't want you to ever give up on _anything_. You're too strong of a person to do something like that."

"Then what are your reasons, Sinead?"

The young woman looked up at him, then sighed and looked back at the flowing water. "I'll tell you when I can. I . . . I'm just . . . oh, I dunno."

"Trying to figure yourself out?"

"Yeah, I guess."

The man looked down at the deep and safe pool not ten feet below them. And grinned.

"Dinobot, what are you . . . oh, no . . . nonono!!! Dino_booooot_!!!"

She hit the water with a satisfyingly loud splash, cutting her shriek off abruptly. Dinobot grinned as she resurfaced, treading water in the freezing pool. Her glare to him swiftly turned into an evil grin. Dinobot heard a snicker behind him, and barely had the chance to see a human Megatron shove him over the lip. He bellowed, then felt the_extremely_ cold water envelop him completely. Blowing air out in an explosive manner as he surfaced, he immediately swam towards the first thing out of the water that he could find, and pulled himself upon the smooth tree trunk, shuddering. There was a particular pain associated when a warm-bodied male was pushed into a glacier-fed stream, and he was not enjoying it in the least. "Rampage! Get 'im!"

Sinead grabbed Dinobot's ankle, pulling him back under while he yelled, and then grinned as he came back up again. "Not liking the cold?"

"Matrix!" Dinobot spluttered. A double spray of cold wetness washed over them, and Starath and Megatron each got up onto the log that crossed the narrowest part of the pool, almost twenty feet away from the edge of the waterfall. The four watched as an all-out battle started over who was getting thrown in next. Rampage seemed to be winning, as he unmercifully dumped almost the full contingent of humans in. Then Rhinox walked over, dark skin glistening with sweat as he had been helping to begin building a second cottage. The first one wasn't large enough by far to shelter everyone. He popped his knuckles, waiting for Rampage to make a move.

"Ten bucks on Rhinox!" Rattrap shouted out, still dry, and thankfully, in jeans.

Rampage used those jeans to lift him and toss him easily into the pool. Miss Special pushed Sapphire in a split second later. Sapphire and Rattrap went to where they could stand on a submerged rock and cling to one another. She called out, "Ten on Rampage!"

"Five on Rampage!" Sinead called out.

"Taken up!" Optimus said, still dry. Rampage inclined his head to Rhinox, who turned to the early-twenties man and grinned. Optimus' grey eyes widened, and he shook his head, saying, "Rhinox, you wouldn't . . . aaahhh! Primuuuuuusss!!!"

Another body now swam to the side of the waterhole, fluently cursing. Sinead grinned. "Your bet, Primal?"

"Ten on Rhinox."

Cheetor and Waspinator struggled for the upper hand until both Rhinox and Rampage shoved them in, each using only one hand. Finally, when Lady Venom was the only human dry, other than Rampage and Rhinox, the two looked at each other. Rhinox held his hands up, taking a step back.

"She's your responsibility, Rampage."

"Good to know that you approve," Rampage said, picking Lady Venom up around her waist and walking towards the edge. Thinking quickly, she dug her hands into the waist of his jeans, and held on just as he started to throw her. What had started out as a simple, "innocent" action soon became jeopardy as neither went out far enough to avoid a shallowly submerged rock. All stared in horror as Rampage managed to twist in midair, preforming a movement that would make any flier instantly jealous, shielding Lady Venom from the impact.

A sickening crack echoed off of the stone walls around the waterhole.

Megatron moved swiftly to the spot along with Dinobot and Inferno. Sinead was rushing to the other side, her stomach rebelling at the noise. She could handle Cybertronian wounds fine, she could handle watching Cybertronians even start to rip into each other seriously, but . . . anything human, and . . . she couldn't deal with it.

She was quickly joined by others who were just as bad at keeping their stomachs under control.

Optimus helped Rampage stay at the surface with Megatron. Inferno helped support Lady Venom, who was shaking badly, unable to tread water or make her limbs move in the right way. "Rampage!"

Rhinox leapt in and helped support the humanized bot. Blackarachnia was also of help, keeping his shoulders still. Rampage regained consciousness, and he winced. "Matrix that _hurts_."

His Bonded was weeping, clawing at Inferno to let her back to Rampage's side. The man called back softly, "Hush, my Lady. Five minutes, please, hush."

"Wh-what?" Rhinox asked.

"I can't move my legs, but that will heal in less than the amount of time she has to wait," Rampage hissed almost under his breath. "Just keep me up. I heal slower when human."

Sapphire was still retching when Sinead recovered enough to look around. Miss Special was leaning over the log, face an odd color of grey-green, but she looked as if she hadn't thrown up yet. That was a plus. They locked gazes, and Miss Special drew in a deep breath, calming her stomach further. Together they tended to those worse of than they were. Just when Sinead was hugging Starath, they heard the sound of wet skin being slapped. Those well enough turned to stare as Lady Venom screamed, _"Don't you ever do something like that to me ever again!!!"_

Added to that was a line of curses in English, Cybertronian, some Gaelic, some other in an unrecognizable Germanic language, and then even in Japanese, which caused Sinead to grin. "Actually, the grammar of that's kinda off, but . . ."

"Shut the slag up, Sinead!"

"I'll go and get towels ready, then, with hot drinks. Miss Special? Starath and Sapph? Cheets? You four want to help?" Sinead replied amicably, hiding how nauseated she still was.

Dinobot noticed, however, and stayed close to her side. Wherever she went, he would, too.

.o.V.o.

Once things had calmed down a bit, and Lady Venom was off rummaging around in her bag for a book, Starath walked briskly up to the human Rampage, grabbed his collar to bring him closer to her, and slapped his face as hard as she dared. Her voice was an angry hiss. "If you_ever_ pull a stunt like that again, I'll help Lady V kill you. Don't think that we won't find a way."

Everyone blinked at the scene. A blanket was thrown around Starath's shoulders, and Sapphire said, "Don't frighten him, now. That's Sinead's job. She's waiting in line to hit him. Then again, she's also wanting to thank him for saving Lady Venom."

Sinead walked in with a tray. "What about me?"

"Nothing!" Sapphire said cheerfully. "Oh, which one is mine?"

"The one in the top corner . . . no, the _other_ top corner."

They were inside, the Beast Warriors enjoying the sensation of human taste as they ate both from a Japanese and a Chinese take-out menu. Inferno was all for the extra-spicy General Gau's chicken, while Rattrap liked picking from the soba noodles. Sinead sat down to a place full of the best of both worlds, in her eyes. Dinobot quickly snuck pieces from what she was eating. Lady Venom sighed, then said, "All right, remember what we decided to talk about?"

"Names," the group groaned out.

"Gee, sound all happy about it."

Rattrap rolled his eyes. "I _like_ my name, though!"

"You don't have to give it up, vermin," Megatron said through a mouthful of food. He swallowed. "Just choose a second one."

"Preferably one that'll suit the sorta ethnic background that your human . . . mode-thing has," Sharpshot said. "I mean, look at Rampy, there."

"Ram_page_ to you, brat," the Predacon growled, not really looking too fierce at the moment, what with rice sticking to the side of his mouth.

"Whatever. He's dark eyes and hair, but with a rather fair complexion."

"A guy said 'complexion'!" Starath giggled, not even sure why she was laughing. The thought just hit her silly.

Sinead was grinning behind her hand. Dinobot popped a chicken strip into her mouth the moment it opened, trying to stuff her face with more food so that she couldn't add to the comment. Sharpshot glared around the room, then said, "He looks European, is what I was getting to. So does more than a few of the others."

"Silverbolt's unmistakably Native American, and Rhinox is African," Sapphire said. "Then does Dinobot looks Japanese?"

Sinead turned Dinobot's face towards her, then blinked at him in a dull fashion. "Swallow your food. Better." She ran her eyes over his face again, then shook her head. "I have no idea whatsoever. He has the facial features of one of almost Japanese origin, but his build is definitely . . . oh, I don't know. I never could place which origin he got his build from."

"Been studying the body more than the soul lately?" Dannn teased.

Dinobot choked on his food, while Sinead merely blinked. "Looks like it's the opposite way, Dannn."

Rattrap and Megatron snickered, while Dinobot turned different shades of red. Finally, he growled out, "Oh, and as if _you_ two haven't been watching your Bonded in a slightly different way, hm?"

Megatron cleared his throat and flushed crimson. Optimus, strangely, was also blushing. Sinead looked to Nurannoniel, who was laughing quietly. Starath was grinning openly, then managed to catch Sinead's gaze. With a fluid motion, the shorter author stood, walked over to Megatron, and plopped herself in his lap, still eating. The look on his face caused laughter to bubble out all around the room. Starath looked as if nothing was out of the usual, as she held her plate out to Quickstrike, asking, "Could you put some of that house-fried rice in that clear space, please?"

He fell over laughing.

Silverbolt was watching the entire scene, frowning, not understanding. Miss Special saw this, and then looked to Nurannoniel, who was sitting next to her. The Canadian author nodded, stood, and asked, "Is the Mountain Dew all out?"

"Yeah!" Rattrap said, wiping his tearing eyes on his shirt as he chuckled.

"All right, I'll grab some. Hey, Blackarachnia? Could you help, please?"

Sighing, the she-spider followed Nurannoniel into the kitchen. "Oh, we're out."

"Wait! Don't you go anywhere," Nurannoniel hissed. "Look, most of us know that you and Silverbolt out there are interested in each other."

The slightly-older woman's face turned pink. "So? What's it to_you_?"

"Hey, I don't mean any offence, but all I'm trying to say is that you don't have to hide. Sure, neither of the leaders are going to really like the idea, but they have me and Starath to deal with. We'll vouch for you."

There was silence for a moment, lasting through another burst of laughter, and Starath came in, snickering. "That was wonderful . . . oh, Nurann!"

"Quick," Blackarachnia said. "If I were to . . . well . . . _hook up_ with a certain Maximal, what–"

"Oh, you and Silverbolt? You're cute together! Whatever."

"Would you speak up for me if Grape-Face and the monkey start to say something?"

Starath smiled kindly. "Of course." She looked to Nurannoniel. "Now where'd Sinead hide that Mountain Dew?"


	8. Finding Family

Stolen Virtue  
By: Sinead

_**Edited January 25, 2005:**__ I didn't quite like the direction this would have taken on, had I continued with it. So what I've done was edit a few places and send it skittering in a new, fresher direction. One that will hopefully let me complete this beautiful tear-jerker. And I also added another part (this one) in between Part Seven and the original Part Eight, bumping Parts Eight and Nine up to Parts Nine and Ten, replacing Eight with this small part, which explains a bit more about the Beast Warriors settling in. Oh, and my mother's name? Hah. Like that's really it. Her name is known widely by those whom she knows, and would not wish for me to spread it around. And I __**so**__ have her permission to use her in my story, and so you have to ask special permission from me! HAH!__(End of Rant)_

_**Edit January 13, 2008:**__ And I'm looking up at the note that I wrote up there . . . and __**WOW**__. Can we say just a touch spastic? Yeah. I think that we can. Holy crap, talk about rambling. Yeah. So. Re-editing. Still working on it. Hah. Take that. And now I'm gonna run to hopefully finish editing this up today._

Part Eight: Finding Family

.o.V.o.

"So I heard dat you an' a certain Pred 're thinin' o' becomin'_closer_."

"That is none of your business, Rattrap," the Maximal Silverbolt replied evenly, not stopping his pace in chopping wood for the bonfire that they had all wanted to do that night.

"Really. Considerin' dat da two o' 'ya have da approval of da two leaders _and_ deir Bonded, I'd say dat it's kinda strange dat you two haven't just come out an' said sumthin' 'bout it yet."

"Rattrap, it _isn't any of your business_."

"I'd say dat it's cute, but I ain't one fer Preds, 'ya know?" Rattrap continued, leaning upon the long-handled maul, watching the larger mech with a curious optic. "But since we're all attracted ta different thin's an' all, it doesn't matter, really."

Neither noticed the human who had walked up the driveway, watching them in clear disbelief, but said nothing, and made no sudden movements either towards them or away.

Silverbolt glared at Rattrap. "What happens between myself and Blackarachnia is _none_ of your business."

"Yeah, I know, but 'ya gotta remember dat we're all kinda stuck here together f'r a while, an' da second cottage ain't _nowhere_ near done, so we have ta deal wi' each other. So all I wanna know is if you an' her have hooked up yet."

"You're stepping too far, _Rodent_."

"Will you two slagging _knock it off_?!" Dinobot roared, turning the corner of the house and seeing them look towards him. And he also saw the human in the driveway.

"Wow, you got them to stop?" Sinead asked, looking around his side. Her face lit up, and she ran over to the human, laughing. "Mom! What are you doing here?"

They embraced, but her mother looked at the three Cybertronians. "They're real?"

Dinobot had frozen stiff, as had the two others. Sinead chuckled at their expressions of "oh, crap I've screwed up again," and replied, "Yeah. I'll explain in a moment. But first, you have to see what we're doing so far."

"Another cottage," her mother replied, watching the three Maximals not quite warily, but neither was she watching with intense scrutiny. It was a mix of the two.

"How'd you know?"

"Rattrap let it slip."

"Figures. You _always_ ruin surprises!" Sinead said to the Transmetal, laughing. She looked over the amount of wood, then nodded. "That looks like it should be enough. Rattrap, could you tell Sapph that my mom's here, and that we're taking a walk with Dinobot?"

With a nod, he and Silverbolt fled the scene surprisingly fast, leaving Dinobot alone with Sinead and her mother. He cleared his throat nervously, but Sinead smiled reassuringly up at him, turning back towards the road, where they could take a good walk along. With that as a sort of signal, he turned human and watched the two interact. Sinead spoke first. "All right, Mom, there's something that you have to know."

"How he turned human like that?"

"Well, that's part of it. But remember how I had to break off that relationship that I had been in?"

"Yeah," she replied, nodding. "He was a nice kid, and you wouldn't even tell _me_ why."

Sinead indicated Dinobot, who was following them as they walked back up the driveway. "Him. I told you that I had some strange dreams one night, remember?"

"And the next day you broke up with your boyfriend."

Dinobot finally shook his head, his hair falling around his face. Frowning, he touched her arm with the back of his hand lightly. "Why didn't you tell me that you were in a relationship? You never said anything, not even to the other humans!"

"Of course not. They would tell someone, who would tell _you_. And I didn't want you to have any more excuses than you already did," Sinead replied tenderly. "Besides, it wasn't a nice relationship. He wasn't all that interesting. Sure, he was a nice guy and all, but all he wanted in life was to make money, then with his spare time he wanted to collect toys and . . . Well, he didn't want a family the way that I did, and you know me to know that I'd love to have kids sometime, but . . ." she grumbled something that didn't sound either flattering or too nasty, and said, "So all he wanted to marry was a trophy wife who had no aspirations of her own."

The mother smirked at that, then asked, "So what has that dream to do with anything?"

"It wasn't a dream," Sinead replied softly, pulling her t-shirt over her head to reveal her bathing suit on underneath, showing her mother the two scars.

She stopped her daughter from walking to run a finger over one of the scars. "Where did you get these."

"In that so-called dream. Like I said, it wasn't a dream. Not in the_least_ was it a dream."

Mother and daughter looked at each other steadily, until Sinead put the shirt back on and started explaining the adventure she and the others had shared from the beginning up until that very morning. By the time she had finished and all of her mother's questions were answered, they were sitting on a sun-warmed rock, it was dusk, and the smell of wood-smoke was drifting over to them. After one final sigh, Sinead's Mum looked to Dinobot. "So you and my daughter are married in your own way, eh?"

He nodded.

"And?"

After a blink, confused about what she was trying to allude to, he asked, "What is it?"

Sinead chuckled, seeing what her mother was getting at. "No, we've been good, and haven't even _gone_ there. We've agreed not to . . . ah, 'have fun' until we're married by human standards."

Dinobot chuckled at her wording, then settled into a smile, looking at Sinead's mother . . . his mother-in-law. "Her first concern that she had told me about was that, wondering if we _absolutely_ had to consummate the Bonding."

"Oh? That so?" the mother asked through a chuckle. "And your answer was no, I take it?"

Dinobot shrugged, reaching over to tug on his Bonded's hair lightly. "It's all a matter of what the pair are comfortable with, and it belongs entirely up to them, and them alone."

"Good reasoning. And that sounds rehearsed, so you have had people ask you if the two of you had done anything since that date."

"Rattrap," the pair chorused. Sinead chuckled, and added, "But we've convinced everyone that there was a _possibility_ of that going on between us, even though most of the authors know me well enough that there hasn't been anything. So it's a continuing argument between a few, which is always amusing."

Dinobot stood, then helped Sinead and her mother stand. "I think that they've started roasting something. I can smell it all the way over here, and I haven't eaten since lunch."

"Oh, wow, you've lasted that long?" Sinead asked, the growl of her stomach echoing her words.

"You haven't."

"Hush, you!"

He wrinkled his nose at her, to which she replied with sticking her tongue out at him, then looked at her mother. "Come on, everyone will be glad to know that you know. They were worried at first, what I would tell you and how you would take it, since they know how close you and I are."

"That so?" she replied, smiling. "Well, better tell them now than later that I approve of you two." Looking up at Dinobot, she added, "And that I approve of you. And I'd have to say that I'm proud of my daughter for what she did for you. So I think that I can get used to you."

Dinobot accepted the not-so-hidden praise, then heard Sinead ask, "Can he call you 'Mum' like the rest of my friends from school do?"

A chuckle caused Dinobot to look at the mother from the corner of his eye as he led them back. "Sure, but only if he wants to."

The young man smiled, replying, "Thank you."

They walked around the corner of the first cottage, and Sinead's mum saw for a split-second Megatron, Rampage, Silverbolt, Blackarachnia, Rhinox, and Inferno as she had seen them upon her daughter's DVD collection. She knew their faces and voices, and to see them as they were, and then only so shift quickly, watching her with ready wariness upon their faces . . . well, she chuckled for a moment before saying, "Oh, knock it off. I'm not blind nor stupid. And I know my daughter well enough that I know what her favorite hobbies are. So you can rest assured that I'll keep your secret."

"Good!" Dannn said, laughing and standing to give the mother his seat. "And can I get on your good side so that you can stop your daughter from hurting me even though I might need it?"

Sinead snorted. "Not likely."

"Sit back where you were," her mother laughed, shaking her head.

"So what do we call you?" Rhinox asked candidly, shoving Dannn back into a sitting position and leaning lightly upon his shoulder in play, causing Dannn to glare up at the dark-skinned man and pout.

"Meara._Miss_ Meara, if you will, for you boys who have to learn manners and tact!" At their laughter and the laughter from the other males, she smiled at the girls. "Or Auntie Meara."

"Aw, how come _we_ can't call you 'Auntie'?" Cheetor whined.

With one leg, Optimus indulged in the imp of the perverse, upending the stool the younger boy had been sitting upon, landing him in the dirt and looking up at his leader with a bit of confusion on his face. Said leader looked down at him almost as if surprised that Cheetor hadn't simply stood when he felt the stool shift under him. "Because you can learn a lot from Miss Meara. And because most of the girls know her and have met her."

"Hey, we have too," Skyfire replied.

"Yeah, and I'm from England, so why can't we find _some_ familial relations?" Sharpshot entreated, turning puppy-eyes to the older Irishwoman.

"Because ye be a young scalawag and never ye forget it!" Meara replied, fists on hips and replying in her native brogue.

"Yes! I'm a scalawag!"

Sinead snorted and shook her head, playing along with the Irish brogue bit. "Mum, 'e'll never let ye live callin' 'im a scalawag daown. It's in 'is nat're t' be both annoyin' an' t' be an imp."

"You can speak in brogue?" Dinobot asked.

The author chuckled. "Yep. It's in me blood." Her stomach growled again, this time louder. "Well, er . . . yeah. So. Where's the food?"

.o.V.o.

"Was it just me, or was Rhinox watching your mother a bit too closely?" Optimus murmured in Sinead's ear later that night. Her mother was staying with them for a few days, and was given the best cot that they had to sleep in the living room in. She was currently setting that up while Rhinox was looking over the plans for the second cottage again, which _just_ so happened to be in the kitchen, which opened up into the living-room.

Sinead looked up at the Maximal. "No, I noticed that too."

"Would she have?"

"Most definitely. I'll ask her, you ask him."

.o.V.o.

"Sinead, you saw him watching me."

"Yeah, Mum, I think he likes you."

"Somehow, I knew you saw that, too. Does _he_ know that you know?"

"Probably. Optimus is most likely cornering him and asking him questions like what I was going to ask you right now."

"Questions?"

"Yeah, like if you noticed it, and if you did, what are you thinking we should do . . . ?"

"Do?_You_ do nothing."

"Well, I know him, so I thought that I could see if there was anything that I could do to _help_. Nothing more."

"Help what?"

"Whatever you wanted done."

Meara sighed, and looked up at the stars. "This is a truly beautiful clearing. How did you find this, again?"

"Oh," Sinead said, chuckling. She knew her mother was working the current situation around in her head while she asked other questions. "Well, me and Dinobot were bored, and we wanted just time to ourselves, not around the others. You know how stressful that could get. So we wandered out here around sunset one night, and then watched the stars come out."

"And did nothing."

"So we kissed. C'mon, Mum, you know that I can hardly resist him. He's really, really cute when he gets all sappy and in that kind of mood that says that all he wants is to hug me."

"You'd better be able to resist _some_ of his attention."

"Oh, seriously, now. Both of us don't want any accidents, and neither of us want to screw up in any way, shape or form. I'm still keeping my vow to stay chaste until marriage."

"So has he asked you formally, yet?"

"You mean with a ring? Mom, they're only six days here. I doubt that he even _knows_ about that custom. But we're devoted to each other, literally connected by our souls, as you know." She paused, then sighed. "I know that it wasn't even a full marriage-Bonding, though. He really didn't want me to risk my life for him. I don't know why. I mean, he . . ." Sinead sighed. "There was one part that we didn't tell you. I knew that he wouldn't have been able to tell you. He told me that I can, though, if it came up."

"About what?" Meara asked.

"He wasn't just tortured. They had broken his spirit, and you had heard that. But it wasn't by simple torture." She averted her gaze up to the stars, watching them silently for a moment. "He had been raped."

A sigh, and a noise of sad understanding came from her mother. "You've already helped him more than you know. He's . . . he's really . . ." The mother stopped, seeing her daughter's face. "Oh, come here, you."

Sinead willingly surrendered to her mother's arms, glad that she had finally been able to tell her, to _prove_ to her . . . and that her tears of pain could be spent upon someone's shoulder, someone who _wasn't_ Dinobot, and who _wasn't_ in the Wars, but who understood. Who understood _her_ and knew the words that she _couldn't_ say,_couldn't_ even try to articulate.

"Sinead, you've been holding that on your chest since you had, what, Bonded? Why didn't you tell me before?"

"You wouldn't have believed me," Sinead replied through her tears. "I_wanted_ to tell you so badly, but . . . Mumma, I couldn't. You would have thought that I wasn't telling the truth."

"Among other things," Meara said, sighing. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you had to hold this to yourself for so long, I'm sorry that you couldn't tell me before now. And I'm most sorry that you had to hold to yourself the responsibility of bringing Dinobot back up to who he had been before. You've done _so well_ with that. I never would have thought that he had gone through such pain."

"But it's so _hard_ sometimes . . ."

"I know. It would be. Tell me?"

The younger woman sniffed, then wiped her still-tearing eyes upon her sleeve. "We've been here for five days, them too, and he's had two nightmares. Rattrap said that," she sniffed again, "they're not as frequent, but they're still bad ones. This hadn't happened since we Bonded. I wake up with him, since I can feel his mind and all . . . but . . ." She sighed. "It's hard. I have to be happy for _both_ of us, try to help him dull his temper–"

"Oh, so his temper is as bad as it's said to be?"

Sinead gave a half-chuckle. "Worse, actually. He can be rather nasty when angry. I just have to remember what he's angry about and then see if I can turn it around somehow, or knock the sense into him, sometimes literally."

"You . . . what."

"Knocked him over once. He hasn't gotten _that_ angry since."

"I should hope not." After a deep sigh, Meara took her daughter's hand in hers, and they looked back up at the stars. "Shyn, you'll be fine. You're doing well enough with him."

"But 'well enough' doesn't mean that I can't try to get_more_ settled with him."

"What?"

"His mind, his thinking, how he works things out mentally . . . they're still a fraction off of where they had been _before_ he had done what he knew he had to do."

Meara sighed, then turned to look back at where she knew the cottage to be. "What's Rhinox's human name, again?"

"Roark."

"Odd."

"Not really. It means strength."

"Oh. And Dinobot's?"

"Benjiro."

"Japanese, isn't it? Huh. What's it mean?"

Sinead and her mother started the first few steps back to the main cabin's clearing after she had said, "Not many of the others know it, but it means 'be in peace.' He chose it yesterday, after everyone else had figured out their own names. He thinks like the Japanese, almost. He chose his name with the wish and want to grow _into_ it."

Silent for a few steps, Meara turned that over in her head as well. "What are their last names?"

"Dunno yet. We just wanted them to have something that we could call them by when we were in public." A thought reoccurred to the author. "Oh."

"What is it?"

"We still have to get them some more changes of clothing."

"Ah. Well. We'll see what we can do about that." Her wink was conspiratorial as they met Rhinox and Dinobot, both in their Cybertronian modes, just as they were in the main clearing for the original cottage. She looked up at the tall Maximal, smiled once, and continued the conversation that she had been having while they were walking out to the smaller clearing. "And so you're thinking about transferring out here?"

"Yeah, silly, I know, but I really like the area," Sinead replied.

"And the people."

Slipping her arm through Dinobot's, she nodded. "Definitely the people." She looked back at her mother, who was watching her. "What?"

"Have you planned _nothing_ about your wedding? I'm shocked."

"Oh,_great_," Sinead grumbled, hearing her mother start in on a full-blown lecture while Rhinox and Dinobot either chuckled or laughed quietly at the playful banter that the mother and daughter shared. They talked long into the night.


	9. Building a New Foundation

Stolen Virtue  
By: Sinead

_**Author's Note:**__ There have been numerous amounts of authors wanting to see more of this story. I stopped writing it for selfish reasons, I guess, seeing that I had to crack down on more than one other writing project. I'm still trying to get those done, and I'm trying to avoid death while doing so. But I guess that this story never really felt "finished," the same way that those who had said to continue it have. Another story that never felt finished is "Taiyoo Soshite Tsuki," a story of mine that I had taken two months to write, rewrite, and edit intensively. So I'm sorry for the over-two-month wait for the next installment of this project._

_**Edit January 13, 2008:**__ And I haven't finished this story in three years. It's been almost done on my computer, but the last three chapters are the hardest ones to really get written, but now to edit, since there are people in them that no longer are my online friends._

Part Nine: Building a New Foundation

.o.V.o.

Two months passed since the Beast Warriors and their Bonded had been reunited. The second cottage had been finished, and an addition on the first cottage had been started. It would be finished before the first frost, since they could work around the clock in shifts. Arrangements were being made so that both the Bonded and the Warriors would be able to live upon the premises, even though most of the people had gone back to their homes to start preparations for moving in. Lady Venom had already moved into the cottage. Sinead was in the process of getting all her belongings packed and ready, but already spent the weekends with Dinobot and the rest of the crew.

"Rattrap, hand me that hammer."

"Yeesh, hold on!"

"Hey! Where's Rhinox?"

"Working at that lumberyard, remember? Where we get all this wood, duh?"

"Yeah, forgot . . ."

"Blast!"

"Whatcha do?"

"Hit my thumb. Slaggin' hurts."

"Uh, duh?"

"Shut up, Cheetor. And how's that _romance_ going with that girl from town?"

"Dinobot! C'mon, she's only a friend!"

"Hmph. She doesn't look at you as if you were a friend."

"But_I_ only think of her as a friend."

"Which is understandable on _your_ side, however, don't keep that to yourself when around her."

"Yeah, like _you_ would understand human girls that well."

"I'm Bonded to Sinead, furball. Fine, don't believe me. Ask Rattrap or Optimus if you want to."

"Looks like I got here just in time," a female's voice said, laughing.

Dinobot launched himself off of where he was sitting astride a beam, hammering the final nails through the bottom of the skeletal-like wall frame, and wrapped Sinead up in a bare-chested embrace, not caring of the others who were watching, whistling and jeering. She kissed his nose, smiling up at his face, then looked up at the human forms of Cheetor, Optimus, Rattrap, Megatron, and Tarantulus. They had been working on the addition in the midday August heat and looked it.

She smiled. "I brought pizza and soda. Take a break. I know you guys need it."

Relieved, the humans thanked her, rushing into the house, leaving Dinobot alone with his love. "So?"

"So what?" Sinead asked.

"You came early on a Friday. Usually you're here on Saturday morning."

"So I was curious about what you had to tell me."

He smiled, picked up his shirt from where it was hanging over a horizontal support beam for where a window would be, and lead Sinead by the hand through the woods on a path that looked slightly-worn. "Now. Close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Please?"

"Oh, all right." She did, and Dinobot took her hands, leading her over the path that he had packed down by pacing in his robot mode, thinking. After what seemed like an eternity, they reached the small clearing that they had discovered together. The humanized Cybertronian stopped, then whispered, "Okay. Look."

Sinead opened her eyes, then drew in a sharp breath.

A small, one-floor house stood before her.

She looked at Dinobot. "This is what you were working on, that Rattrap wouldn't let me go and find you."

"Yes," he replied, beaming. His smile always came easily at this point. "Do you want to see the inside?"

Sinead nodded, and Dinobot rested his arm around her waist, bringing her to the door. It opened inward, hissing softly over a woven mat. She stopped, looking around at the fourteen-foot-deep-by-sixteen-foot-wide room. A loveseat was just to her left, a moderate-sized window behind it, and an old woodstove a foot wide was in the corner of the room directly in front of her, the pipe that would carry the smoke passing through the wall behind it. Logs were piled to the right of that, as well as a few were within the open stove, waiting to be lit. A waist-high, half-filled bookshelf was between it and a door, which was just to her right. Both the floors and the walls were sanded planks of wood, but two deerskins took up most of the living area, providing a comfortable walking area, and she could tell that the walls were thickly insulated against both heat and cold. A small kitchen table was on the wall to the left, with a chair on either end. One more door was directly opposite her, four feet away from the woodstove. It stood ajar, showing a still-unfinished area.

The young woman turned to look at Dinobot, who was smiling kindly, watching her reaction. "Well?"

She beamed, then walked over and opened the door to her right, pulling it towards her. This room was the same distance from the front of the house to the back, but it was only about twelve feet wide. Furs were the carpeting, and from what she could tell, there were at least three layers of them. The bed was a queen-sized one, high up from the ground, all comforters and pillows in a natural tan motif. A sidetable had two oil-lamps upon it, along with an old wind-up alarm clock upon a thick book with wooden covers. The author walked over and picked it up. "My spare bible." She turned. "I had wondered where this had gotten to."

He walked over. "You forgot it here once. It's interesting. Almost like the Code of Primus, but a bit more specific." His smile was gentle. "You were right about how similar our religions are. Strange, isn't it?"

She smiled her answer, and looked at the window facing the front of the house, seeing it mainly shuttered close. Tugging her shirt straight again, she then turned to see a simple open closet, six feel long. The clothing she kept there for the weekends was already hanging there on the left side, while Dinobot's was to the right. Wooden shelves were below the pole that the clothes were hanging off of, holding folded clothing on the upper two levels, while the shoes were beneath it. The simple metal pipe that would lead outside was nowhere to be seen, and what she saw before her caused her breath to catch in her throat.

There was an actual four-foot-wide fireplace in this room, complete with a mantle above it holding a single framed picture of Sinead and Dinobot asleep in each other's arms. Sinead looked up at Dinobot. "You couldn't have made _all_ of this."

"No," Dinobot agreed. "You know that I have been working and earning money. I have also been looking around for the items I've needed at yard sales. The only thing that I bought new for this entire place was the wood I needed and the mattress. Everything else . . . either hand-made or second-hand." He grinned, and indicated the fur carpets. "Or killed."

"Typical male," Sinead laughed. "No tact." She put the bible back upon the sidetable, then wrapped her arms around his torso, sighing into his bare, muscled chest. "Why did you make all this for me?"

"Because we needed a place to get away from the others. Rattrap and Megatron have also started making their own places, but ours . . . ours is farther away. Still on the property, but . . . farther back from the road, closer to the river. And that's just beyond that line of trees. You can see it if you walk back out there."

Sinead looked up at him, then reached up to release his hair from the ponytail he kept it in. It had grown in the few months that they had been here. "So you made this just so you could convince me get into bed with you? And not just to sleep?"

He blushed, then shook his head, smiling, accepting the tease. "Sinead, you know me better than that. We just needed a place where _we_ could be alone when we _do_ get married by your terms."

Sinead smiled, but Dinobot shook his head and whispered, "There is one more thing I wish to give to you."

After exchanging a soft kiss, a human Dinobot slid to one knee, taking Sinead's left hand in both of his.

.o.V.o.

Rattrap peeked in through the small crack between the shutters, watching the two humans inside. Grinning, he gave the thumb's-up to a Cybertronian Megatron, who was behind him. The Predacon leader turned and pumped his fist into the air, signaling to Lady Venom that Dinobot was successful in asking Sinead to marry him.

She turned, relayed the message silently, but heard something slam into something else, then Dinobot's bellow of, "Can I _never_ get any privacy?! _Slot off, all of you!!!_"

Sinead's laugh followed the statement, and Megatron ran by Lady Venom, Rattrap under one arm. The other arm was used to pick her up as he continued running. They reached the main cottage, Rattrap holding his head, but laughing. Optimus looked down from where he was starting to construct the roof, then asked, "So? Did he ask her?"

"Yeah," Lady Venom replied, smiling and walking over to the house, seeing that Rampage was home already. "And after all the money he payed for that ring, man . . . he shoulda asked her sooner."

Rattrap turned human, glad that he hadn't been organic when his head was clipped by the shutter that Dinobot had slammed open. He sighed, "Lady V, he wanted dat place t' be completed when 'e asked 'er. You know, so dat dey wouldn't have ta worry 'bout lookin' f'r a house. Besides." He grinned. "You shoulda seen 'er face when she walked inta da bedroom."

"Ooh, the most important one of them all," Blackarachnia said, teasing, as she walked out of the house with an armful of bottled water. "Hey, monkey-boy! Catch!"

Rattrap shook his head at the face Optimus made, but stayed silent. "Anyways, I'm lookin' forward t' when Sapph comes back."

"I think the rest of us feel the same way," Inferno said, starting up the fire for the night's meal with one of his flamethrowers. He put it away and became human, his unruly red hair falling forward into his darkly-tanned face. "But I got word that Miss Special will be here soon. Paperwork for moving is finished."

"Good," Sinead's voice said. She appeared out of the shadows behind Rattrap, dope-slapping him as she passed him. "When is she planning to get here?"

He took a moment to forward the question to his Bonded, then smiled and replied, "Next week. She started out this morning."

Sinead grinned, reaching up to tug at his hair and move him out of the way so he wouldn't burn the meat. He made faces at her behind her back, then turned back into the Predacon most knew him as, continuing to mock her behind her back. Turning, a fire-sharpened stick in her hand, she glared up at him, shaking the smoking stick inches in front of his face. They argued for a while more, until just after everyone was done with the projects that they had chosen to do that day, never once ceasing to keep the meat from cooking evenly.

.o.V.o.

"Sinead?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you sure that you like this place?"

Standing up from the couch and walking around the small living/dining room area, she looked at every possible place, silently noting small beauties, and bare areas on the walls. After making sure that she was satisfied, she nodded. "Yes. Yes, I really do love this place. It's . . . well, it's kinda like our personalities. I like the small design, but there are a few things that I'd move around, and some reorganizing that I'd like to do."

"So . . . I didn't get it right," the raptor said, waiting upon the two-seater couch for her to come back.

She didn't, still looking around and making notes in her mind. "No, you have almost everything right. I just don't like having a bare wall. That's what I was trying to get at."

Dinobot's face relaxed from its tense expression into a smile with a sigh. "Good."

"Hey."

"Hn?"

"Mom said that she wants to come up here and see what wonders we've done with the place."

"Oh?"

Sinead knelt on the fur rug next to the couch. "And I told her about this small cottage you built for the two of us."

The Bonded ex-Predacon rested his head upon her hand, feeling her other hand trace patterns that nobody but she saw upon his snout. "And what did she think about it?"

"That she wants to see it."

"That's all?"

"Not nearly. You've met her and had talked with her. She also wants me to still stay around the other girls until we're formally married, and she doesn't want us sleeping alone together here until then."

Dinobot snorted his amused laugh, smiling. "I love that woman, Sinead. I sincerely think she would cow some of the more reckless of our companions into meek trembles every time she would look at them."

"You've seen her do none other than that. But I plan upon listening to her."

"Until you move up here, right?"

With a sigh, the young woman crawled up onto the couch beside her beloved, feeling him shift to human and pull her snugly against him. She rested her head under his chin, whispering, "Love, I don't know when that will be. My work doesn't seem to want to let me transfer up to North Adams any time soon."

"Why? Sinead, I can't help but miss you when you're not here. If I don't . . . if I don't see you for over a week, I . . . I panic. Matrix and . . . and everything else knows that I'm useless." He clenched his eyes shut. There was a specific panic that he did get when she wasn't around him, one that was born out of the torture he had endured, and how she had been the one to release the first restraint that had held him to that Pit-forsaken table.

"But you know that I love you. There was never really anyone else but you, and there never will be another. I love you."

He knew all that. By Primus, God, whatever you wanted to call the One that the two believed in, Dinobot knew of his Bonded's love for him. But it didn't . . . it didn't help. "Sinead, Rhinox told me of some Bonded couples that act as we do. He called them 'special pairs,' regardless of how far they've Bonded with each other. 'Nead, not many Bonded mind not seeing each other for _years_ on end, simply because of either circumstances or whatever. He used Optimus Prime and Elita-One as a reference. The contact between the two Sparks was more than enough." With a rub at the itch bothering his nose, he continued. "But I've seen that none of the others here have just that simple Bonding. Those who _didn't_ Bond at all seem fine with life, but those who _are_ . . . and who aren't around their Other, Sinead, they barely hold onto themselves at times."

"That's why you and Rampage were down to glances and those 'don't talk to me unless it's about someone getting himself killed' looks. And why Lady Venom's already here with him." The author sighed, then said, "I think that I'm almost there with negotiating, but they're not liking it."

"They have to? It's _your_ choice. Your life."

"They'll think that I'm going to say something like that, and that's why they want me to stay with them. They think that they own me."

"You're an assistant manager there. They've even transferred you between some of their stores when you were needed to."

"Love, I know. It's just that they're pig-headed about the fact that I own my life, and not them."

"I can see how that could annoy you."

After a moment of just watching the small fire burning merrily away in their stove, Sinead whispered, "Something's bothering you again. Something deeper than just my not being able to move up here sooner."

"I'm having nightmares again."

"About . . . that?"

"Yes." He sighed, standing to transform, then shift to his human mode, rubbing at his head. "I thought that we had stopped them with our Bonding and with my return to you. They were _supposed_ to go away." With another sigh, his eyes rested upon Sinead. "It doesn't make any sense."

After a moment she also sat up, but rested against him, leaning her head upon his shoulder. "I wish I had an answer, Dinobot. I really wish that I did. But I don't. And that bothers me. How frequent are these dreams?"

"They had stopped for three weeks, then had been once every two weeks, then once a week, but . . . now I can't get a full night of sleep."

"And you've gotten used to that again."

"Especially with you beside me."

"Easy, now, I know you want me to just tell my work to bite me and screw off, but I really can't."

"Deliver an ultimatum."

Blinking, looking up at his face, seeing the weary haggard, sheer _lust_ for her to just _be around_ him, holding his hand, smiling at him, laughing with him . . . Sinead knew what she had to do.

And she set her mind, no allowances.

"I will, love. Count on it."


	10. Facing the Nightmare

Stolen Virtue  
By: Sinead

Chapter Ten: Facing the Nightmare

.o.V.o.

"Dinobot?" Sinead asked, blinking in the blackness of their new house. He had fallen asleep next to her on the couch, so she had left him there with a pillow and a soft, thin blanket. She knew that she should be near him, so she stayed in the bedroom, ignoring her childhood instincts to close the door before she slept.

Another moan, this time more desperate, child-like, afraid. Then, with a partial roar and a start, Dinobot awoke, feeling Sinead gently putting pressure on his shoulders, holding him back. "Easy. It's two in the morning."

With a half-sob, the young man clung to Sinead, unable to do anything but that. It felt as if it were the first day that he had been back in the Axalon after . . . after the . . . after what the Predacons had done to him.

He felt broken.

And he didn't know what to do.

.o.V.o.

Half an hour later, he was back asleep, this time in the bedroom and with Sinead holding his hand, shamelessly begging her with his eyes to just stay with him. She had stroked his brow until he fell back into slumber. She approached the first cabin and entered it, hearing the familiar whirring of a chaingun powering up. "Rhinox."

"Primus, don't try slag like that this late at night." He put the gun away with a deep sigh.

"I know, I know," she replied as the large tech turned a light on. "Old habits die hard."

"Do they ever," he replied in a mutter, watching her face. "Dinobot's nightmares."

"His mind is relapsing. I . . . I didn't know that it could do that."

"Neither did I." Rhinox sighed, turned human, and leaned against a wall. Rattrap came out of the room he currently lived in and listened while Rhinox asked, "Are you sure that you shouldn't be with him?"

"Believe me, he just woke up, and I _just_ got him to sleep again. I wanted to check in with you about this: How many times in a night would he have those dreams?"

"Lately, only once. I hope that they don't get any more frequent than that. We've _all_ noticed how sleep-deprived he looks." He grimaced. "But none of us say anything to him. We can't."

Rattrap pitched in. "Sapph's nearly here. She's just in England right now, with some family. Kiddo, dis ain't good."

"Do you think his Spark is relapsing?" Sinead asked softly, scared.

"No. Not with your own soul supporting his," Rhinox replied, tone still pensive. "It's been, what, almost seven months since we met you? Something like that, anyway."

"Not on this end. It's only been about four."

"But it's just under six months _altogether_ that you and Dinobot have been Bonded."

"That's right." Sinead paced across the room once. "Did the Cybertronian who Bonded with a human go through this?"

Rhinox blinked, then looked down at the floor, concentrating upon remembering those files. "Maybe. It really didn't say."

"Well, that's not going to do us any good," Sinead grumbled. Seeing that Rattrap was watching her with clear worry written over his face, she ruffled his hair as a sibling would, then rested her hand upon his shoulder. "Things will be fine, Rattrap." Blinking, she looked back at Rhinox. "Possibly, do you think, could the Bonding have just _postponed_ the . . ." Sinead stopped.

"What? Sinead?" Rhinox asked softly.

"Grief and depression. Crap. I have to get back to him." She turned and stopped at the door, looking over her shoulder. "I'll be back in the morning."

"Okay," Rhinox replied.

.o.V.o.

Once back in her cottage, Sinead lit a fire, then tended it while thinking about how to plan the next week. Rustling in the bedroom was soon heard, and Dinobot walked out, still human, and looking rather weary, even though he had slept five consecutive hours, and then another half hour. Sinead didn't look up as he sat behind her on the fur rug, wrapping his arms around her and completely refusing to let go, pressing his face against her shoulder. With a sigh, the young woman closed the door to the woodstove, then gently turned in his arms and rested their foreheads together. "You're so tired."

"I don't know why this is happening."

"Oh, you. I know that you don't know." Rubbing at his shoulders, Sinead whispered, "I'm staying here for at least until Tuesday. I have two sick days saved up, so that should cover that. On Wednesday, I'm going to tell them that I'm moving, and that I will move either _with_ the job, or with_out_. But I'm moving here. Everything but the things I use every day is packed."

Dinobot only closed his eyes and sighed. "You're really going to listen to me."

"When haven't I, my Bonded?"

"When you made me admit."

"That was something necessary that _had_ to happen. You wouldn't be where you are now if I hadn't forced you to admit something like that."

Dissatisfied with her reply, Dinobot stood and walked to face the bookshelves, reading the titles in the light of a dimmed oil-lamp to distract himself from snapping back at her. After a moment, he looked back at Sinead. "I know. But it still didn't feel . . ."

"It released something, though, right?"

Looking back at the shelves, the ex-Predacon muttered something hardly appropriate that had to do with the second word she had said in her last sentence, letting into his old personality a bit more than he had intended, replying sharply and nastily.

And Sinead laughed.

Eyes wide, Dinobot look over to see her laughing, holding her sides, shaking her head at him. She stood and walked over to his side, reaching up brush her fingers along his jaw."Well, we can see to that sometime in the future, but just not until we're married. Not that I blame you for having male thoughts, DB, but please, just don't say stuff like that around Rattrap while I'm there. I'll die laughing."

"Shin . . ." he whispered. Her only reply to that was her eyes locking with his. He shifted to being his robot self, kneeling and pulling his Bonded into an embrace, wanting to just lose himself to her. Nothing more.

She rested her arms around his head, holding it against her tenderly. "Dinobot, I know you're feeling horrible right now. I know that these dreams have you about ready to jump at the slightest shadow. And I think that I know why."

"Then why don't you just _tell_ me already?" Dinobot growled against the human's shoulder.

"The Bonding only put the grief and depression at being violated on a back shelf until we were closer, more attuned to each other, and more willing to express ourselves around each other without the fear of wondering if we were acceptable."

"Then why didn't it happen before _now_?"

"Because subconsciously, you knew that you couldn't break down around the others again. You knew that it would hurt you more to see them pitying you and trying to do everything for you, when really, Dinobot, it's _you_ that has to do the things that only _you_ know which have to be done." She smiled, and pulled his head away from her shoulder, pushing back his hair from his face easily after six months of having to do so. "Do you understand?"

He nodded. "But it doesn't make it any easier to deal with."

"I didn't think that it would."

Dinobot sighed, then rubbed at his optics wearily. "My head hurts."

"All right, all right, I'll massage it again. Sit somewhere."

"Bed?"

"Excuse me?"

"I'll stay like this. Sinead, I don't want to be alone again."

Smiling, kissing his nose, she whispered, "I know, love. All right, but let me bank the fire for the night. It's too nice to put out again."

"Are you cold?" Dinobot asked, neither of them moving.

"Not really, even though the nights are cooler now," Sinead replied just as softly, still watching him. "It's just nice, and comforting to_me_, to have a fire going."

Dinobot let his hands wander through her slightly-longer hair, seeing her face relax just that bit more, and smiled. "You can't resist being put at ease when someone plays with your hair, can you?"

"You're susceptible to that, too, you big softie."

"Hn. 'Softie'? Primus, Sinead."

"Oh, hush and get in there."

"Why so impatient?" Dinobot teased, standing and smiling.

"Because I wanna snuggle, and _you're_ not helping by finding every reason to pause. I'm losing sleep here, too, you know!"

Dinobot leaned over to kiss her forehead. "And I appreciate it more than you know."

As he disappeared into the rustic bedroom, Sinead called after him, "Oh, I know all right. We _do_ share a part of a soul, remember! And that means that I often catch parts of thought-processes that _you_ try to hide from me!"

A snicker emitted from the darker room.

.o.V.o.

"Manager."

"Chris. It's Sinead."

"Oh, hi! How are you?"

Dinobot and a bunch of the others were listening in on another speaker-phone, watching Sinead as she replied, "So-so."

"So have you made up your mind about that promotion?"

_Promotion?_ Dinobot mouthed to Sinead.

_Bait_, she replied just as silently, then aloud, in an easy voice, "Yeah, I have, actually."

"So you'll take it?"

"Not in a million years, Chris. I'm moving to the Berkshires. And that's either with a transfer to another store here, or without a job at all. I've already applied to some places up here, and I think that they're interested in me. I've had three interviews already."

There was a sigh. "Look, can you come in, then? So we can talk this face-to-face?"

"I'm with my fiancé, Chris. He's not feeling all that well, and I came up early. And I'm glad that I did. He's in bad enough shape that I have to call in for Monday and Tuesday."

"Look, Shin, I'm sorry about him, and I'm sorry that I can't do anything about–"

Sinead cut him off. "What, I _want_ you to? Hah, not likely. We've known each other for years, and you're always saying that you're sorry about this, that, or the other. Stop apologizing and get something done! I can't leave him the way that he is, and I don't want to. That, _and_ I'm moving over here, and you have no say in what _I_ say or do. And you know that. So tell me out fair and square, Chris: Do I have the transfer?"

His reply was reluctant. "Yeah. Regional said that they didn't want to lose you to another regional area, but they also said that you _do_ have your own life to live. You'll be working in the Adams store starting Friday."

"Good. And why are _you_ so depressed about it?"

"I don't want to lose a good assistant manager."

"My left foot. I have to move, and that will take the rest of the week. I can't come in. So I won't see you at all after this. My checks are direct-deposit."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

"So?"

Another sigh. "Look, Sinead, could you tell your fiancé that you have to do something on Wednesday and come out to dinner with me?"

Dinobot would have gone _through_ the phone to kill him, if Rhinox hadn't gripped his right elbow and firmly grasped his other shoulder. Sinead let her eyes lock with her Bonded's, telling him to calm himself down. Her voice was the angry silk that was an indicator to others that she was _not_ happy with something. "Chris, I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that. No, sorry, I _won't_ pretend that. I'll be talking with Travis soon enough. But be glad that I won't find any excuses to 'drop in' to work. And I don't want you calling me. Good bye."

She slammed the phone into its receiver, seeing Rattrap cut the connection on the other phone just as quickly. And _then_ Dinobot let his anger out, as most of those who were listening in to the previous conversation let themselves back against a wall or on the other side of the table and watch the assumed argument. Sinead watched passively for a few moments before asking in a pause of breath, "And what good is rending him limb from limb?"

"Primus, woman!" Dinobot roared, going into another short rant, seeing a smile start to spread across his Bonded's face. "And _what_ are you _smiling_ about?"

"Because I'm proud of you."

"_What?!_ Of _what_ are you proud of?!" he snarled into her face, seeing her eyes start to hold the gentle warmth that came with her most genuine of smiles. That only irritated him further. "Of a broken warrior who can't even hold off the advances of another _male_?!"

"Some guys make it a specialty to hit on girls that they know are already taken. He's one of them, so don't take it personally."

"'Don't take it personally'? Are you _mad_?!_He__asked you out!_"

"And so now I'm proud of you, Dinobot."

"And again I'll ask you: for _what_."

"Your pride."

Glaring at her, he snarled, "My pride. Pride _this_." And with a swift movement, he pulled her to him, kissing her fully, not caring who was watching.

And then it hit him.

_He didn't care who was watching._

They broke off the kiss, Dinobot looking down into Sinead's face, whispering, "You, my lady, have an interesting way of working problems out."

"Uh-huh," she replied breathlessly. "And I'll create a few more problems if you kiss me like that again in company."

"Ooh, I'm tempted," the ex-Pred said through his chuckle. Seeing the others watching, he blinked, glared, then snapped, "And what are_you_ all looking at?"

"My daughter kissing like that in public, for starters," a slightly-accented voice said from the back door.

Dinobot's face drained of color and he stepped behind Sinead slightly, who took his hand in hers the moment she had a chance. "So you like the small renovations we've managed to get done to this place so far?"

"Yes, actually. And I like the design of the addition that you've gotten up." Sinead's mother replied, looking around her. "Oh, and I brought someone else."

"Who?"

The older Irish woman stepped to one side, revealing a slim girl. "Picked her up from the airport just last night. Hey!"

For, you see, Rattrap had already taken Sapphire in his arms and had planted multiple kisses on her cheeks and lips in two swift seconds. Sinead smiled and leaned back against Dinobot slightly more, saying, "Here, I'll show you the second cottage that they made. Rattrap, Sapph, if you two start anything, please, get it done _in_ a room?"

As they left the house, both Sinead and Dinobot had to duck out from under a few well-thrown rocks from beside the driveway, laughing at the face of indignation Rattrap sported, as Sapphire chuckled, her own face a bright red. The day was spent in a glorious idle fashion, the most happening being a swim in the waterhole and a wrestling match between Rampage and Rhinox, who were still _both_convinced that they were each stronger than the other in this form.

Rhinox won.

.o.V.o.

"This is simply beautiful."

Dinobot smiled, comfortable enough around his Bonded's mother to be in his Cybertronian form. "Thank you. But this is merely the living space."

"So you designed the bedroom better?"

"Not enough for _her_ liking," Dinobot grumbled, watching as Sinead made a face at him.

Meara laughed. "All right, all right, show me."

Sinead opened the door, and her mother walked in. "Fireplace with a romantic picture . . . and when was this taken?"

"About . . . oh, gosh, that was back on the Axalon, wasn't it?" Sinead replied, laughing. "Around seven months for them, five for us."

"How does that figure out?"

"We spent about two months there, then there was two months here that was between us leaving them and our big get-together bash and all, and now another three months since that."

"Oh. Well, that makes sense. In a strange sort of way."

Sinead chuckled, walking to the back wall of the house to look up at the loft that Dinobot had designed would be over most of the living area. She didn't ask what was in it, yet, but she knew that it would make excellent storage space.

"So you have no electric here?" her mother was asking.

"None, yet," Dinobot replied.

The younger Irishwoman caught the tone of his voice. "Yet? What have you and your friends been hiding up your metaphorical sleeves?"

"That we will, soon. Everything is set up for it, but is just needs a few 'tweaks' on the system, or so Rhinox said."

"I somehow don't want to know."

.o.V.o.

Somewhere in the darkness of that night, in a different place, a sigh sounded. The owner of the sigh typed into her computer, _So where are you now?_

_Massachusetts_, came the reply. _With Sinead and Lady Venom. Miss Special, Starath and Nurann should be coming soon._

This author blinked, then starter typing again. _Why? What for? Didn't you six just get together recently? I don't mean to sound mean or anything, but what's in Massachusetts?_

Sapphire rested her hand upon a sleeping Rattrap's head, which resting upon folded arms upon the desk, brushing her fingers though his hair. _I there really isn't a way to explain it, other than I guess that you would just have had to seen it to believe it._

_Huh?_

_Oh, it's all right. I'm just being rhetorical._

This author suddenly had finally had enough about the secrecy that those six authors had been keeping. And it was chafing at her that whatever they had been keeping secret was big, bad, and dark, by the solemn way they had been talking for the past five months.

In short, she snapped.

_What in the seven circles of hell are you six keeping secret?! It's getting on everyone's nerves, and nobody can seem to shake anything out of you six to what happened! Not to mention that Dannn, Skyfire and Sharpshot have been more of lurkers than usual! I want to know what's going on, Sapph, and I want to know __now_

"Ouch," Lady Venom whispered, reading over Sapphire's shoulder. "I think that we might have to let a few people know some things, Sapph."

"What happened?" Sinead asked, walking over to the computer from where she had set her laptop up, and was reading fanfiction on Halo 2 at a favorite site. She went over the conversation, then sighed, bowing her head. "Yeah. The only thing is that we have to do is ask the other three how much _they_ want said."

"Not to mention _them_," Lady Venom said softly, indicating her own sleeping warrior.

Sinead smiled at how strange Rampage's human face looked while human and peacefully asleep. He looked almost handsome enough to rival Dinobot, who, of course, was the most handsome one of all in her opinion. "Yeah. D?"

"Can't you just call me 'Dinobot'?" The weary question drifted over to Sinead from where Dinobot was sprawled upon the floor of the dark living-room, trying to fight a losing battle against a headache.

"Maybe later."

"Who's this author that you want to tell?" he asked, sitting up slowly, hoping that he had heard of her before.

The three girls smiled to one another, before Sinead replied, "A certain convention-going author by the name of Hacker."

"Oh, her?"

The three laughed at his response, while Sapphire asked, "Can I tell her?"

"That we live; are real? Sure, if you can." His eyes darkened. "But not too much else. Some circumstances _must_ remain within the circle."

She nodded solemnly, Lady Venom looking down at her hands. "Dinobot, I've never really asked you much."

"Then ask what's irritating you," he replied, his voice kind, causing all three to look at him. Sinead smiled and sat behind her Bonded, resting her forehead between his shoulders. He rested his hand upon one of her own briefly before adding, "And I say so simply because I understand the need to try to set things right on one's mind, and how frustrating it can get when questions go unanswered."

Smiling, Sapphire returned to the screen, typing, _Will you promise not to tell ANYONE?_

_Shouldn't something so big it's eating away at Sinead's bubbliness be shared?_ Came the reply. _As well as Starath's open-heartedness, and Nurann's easy way of smoothing rough words over, and YOUR usual way of just being the steady pillar? And not to mention that Miss Spesh and Lady Venom have become more recluse than usual?_

Sapphire heard Lady Venom ask, "Are you sure that you're all right? Are you sure that you've recovered?"

_Hacker, please try to listen to me. We've been sharing the burden that we've encountered between us. It's not something that many people would want to deal with, I'll admit, but it's definitely not something that we would give up, having seen and been around._ Sapphire hit the "enter" key, waiting.

Dinobot sighed, rubbing at his eyes. his voice was low. "I've never recovered. I've just managed to hide the pain easily. And I'm learning now that if someone does that for too long, there_are_ repercussions."

_So what are you talking about, then? I want to help. You guys mean so much to me, and to see the majority of the core BWINT group down and struggling . . . well . . . it's depressing. I want to do something, and I've tried to do something, but nobody will let me._

"Sinead, could you get to Optimus, Megatron, and Inferno, then tell them what's going on, and if they'll tell their Bonded . . . ?" Sapphire asked.

"You got it."

Lady Venom watched as Sinead kissed the top of Dinobot's head before leaving. He watched her silently for a moment, then looked down at his hands. The older girl spoke in a whisper. "She's the only thing that's been keeping you sane."

"She always has been, from the moment we met," Dinobot said, his voice cracking. "I can't be as strong around her as I want to be, and I can't . . ."

Sapphire typed a _brb, something big just came up_, and immediately embraced the shaking Maximal. Her motion disturbed Rattrap into consciousness, and he also went to support his friend, sitting back-to-back with him, the action and actual _meaning_ of "I'll always watch your back" breaking the fragile wall, sending Dinobot to just clinging to whatever comfort was offered to him. Lady Venom looked to Rampage, who awoke at the brush of her mind. He saw what was going on, and whispered, "I'll make sure that nobody but Sinead gets in. Lady, you take the front door, if it pleases you."

Her assent came without hesitation. Which, of course, baffled Dinobot totally and completely, and he . . . just couldn't understand. Why would they . . . just do things like this for him? He had Sinead, who tried her best to be the strength for both of them. But . . . that wasn't supposed to be that way.

Cool hands rested upon him, and he saw that very woman sitting next to him, letting Sapphire keep her embrace around him while she just rested the backs of her fingers upon his cheek, smiling sadly. Nothing was said for almost a quarter of an hour, while the three did their best to try to help Dinobot stand on his feet emotionally. With a shuddering sigh, he turned to look at Sinead, who smiled kindly, whispering, "I love you."

Instead of letting that throw him off his delicate emotional balance again, he nodded, using it as a hand-hold to keep him up. Rattrap reached over his shoulder, and rested his hand upon Dinobot's head. "Next time, Choppuhface, tell us. Talk. We ain't gonna turn away. We nevuh did. Heck, I've done my slaggin' best just ta make sure dat if you ever needed someone ta talk to . . ."

"I know, Rattrap," Dinobot replied hoarsely. "And . . . thank you."

Rampage looked down at the group, saying, "Don't think that you can come crying to me, though. I've got better things to do with my time." He grinned. "Like making completely sure that my Lady is content and in good spirits." The grin disappeared once the chuckles died down again, replaced with a solemn look. "But I _will_ keep a vow I've made, and that is to protect you."

"Just him?" Sapphire asked.

Rampage shook his head. "No. All of you. Both Lady Venom and Megatron made me promise right after I got my entire Spark back. So I was bound by a vow to both of them to prevent me from berserking."

Dinobot nodded, still trying to hide an instinctual fear he felt for Rampage. The human Predacon sighed, feeling that fear be suppressed. "Sapphire, please return to the conversation. Your friend must be livid."

As she left, Rampage took her place, and just sat next to the still-broken man. "You know that I am not the one who tortured you."

"It's not that easy."

Lady Venom sat upon Rampage's lap, leaning her head upon his shoulder sleepily. His tender smile and gentle brush of his hand over her hair caused Rattrap to fake gagging noises, while Sinead thought that it was just so cute. Rampage returned his attention to Dinobot. "I could never harm you." He sighed. "Slaggit, but I would _kill_ someone who would try to harm you, Rattrap, Primal, any of you blasted Maximals. I would willingly allow myself to berserk for all your sakes." He held his hand out. "Now no more of that fear, my friend. It doesn't suit you."

"I can't control it . . ."

"_Yes_, Dinobot you _can_," the once-maniac growled out forcefully. "And you _will_."

"How?" was the defiant reply.

"I'll show you."

Dinobot blinked at the hand, then reached out and gripped it, raising his gaze back to Rampage's, nodding.

_I'm sorry, Hacker._

_What was that "something" that came up?_

_It all has to do with one fact which I don't think I can say. But first, will you promise not to say anything to anyone?_

Hacker read the screen, sighing. And replied. _I promise._ The next words shocked her.

_The Beast Wars were real. They happened. We were there, the six girls who you've noticed a change in, and the three boys. We participated on missions, got close to some of them. Sinead even risked her life for Dinobot. And they're here. With us. On earth, in our time._

Hacker swallowed, then said, _I want proof._

Going to BWINT and opening up a few secret pages that held pictures of various moments in the Beast Wars. There were portraits of faces, the detail good enough to show the small lines, the scars, the emotions; other pictures showed couples. But there were a few that showed people watching security monitors, Dinobot's broken form clearly visible on the screens. Humans and Cybertronians interacting. Sapphire and Rattrap snuggling close while deeply asleep. Rampage and Lady Venom just staring at each other. Quickstrike and Blackarachnia making fun of Megatron and Starath, who had been just sharing a moment together.

Hacker took all this in, reaching the bottom of the last page to see a solo picture of Dinobot looking up at the camera warily, weary lines over his face, pain written into how he was sitting up. There was a small face looking over her shoulder at the camera, the same look upon her own face, added with a solemn strength that looked close to being worn out. These were real pictures. Nobody could Photoshop or animate anything this real at this point in time.

She typed her response to the pictures. _When will you let me come there?_

Chuckling, Sapphire looked over her shoulder, saying, "Can we let Hacker come over?"

"Bring it on," Sinead replied.

_When can you come?_

_Within the week. The teachers at my school are on strike. Started yesterday. School only has three days left, anyway._

_Then come when you can. Can you get a map from Mapquest?_

_What's the address?_

Sapphire gave it to her, then smiled at seeing Sinead's face radiant and smiling while she was looking at Dinobot. Rattrap was still leaning with his back against the warrior's but he was looking over his shoulder at Sapphire, who smiled back, letting him feel the complete love she felt for him.

Things would be better.


	11. A Reunion of Sorts

Stolen Virtue  
By: Sinead

_**Author's Note:**__ I hope that you all like this, as I'm trying to pull in as many of the writers of the BWINT community as I possibly can. If I can't fit someone in, please forgive me and understand that I don't have as much time to write as I used to, since I work and plan for various events that will be going on in the next few months, which were explained in the Author's Note of Chapter Ten._

Chapter Eleven: A Reunion of Sorts

.o.V.o.

Hacker had arrived, and had started right in with building and being around the others. She especially was enjoying Waspinator's company, who seemed to like hovering around her. His mind had sharpened and cleared with the addition of a human mode, and he felt at his best while as a human, he had said. His mind worked better, more clearly, even though some of the other warriors wouldn't have noticed the difference between thinking with a Cybertronian mind versus a human one.

On a hot day in the usual relentless August heat, they were lunging around the swimming hole, the Beast Warriors all mainly in their robot modes, which handled the heat easier than a human body could. Sinead was sitting on the edge of the jumping place where Rampage and Rhinox had thrown people in from, watching as Dinobot and Rattrap were trying to drown each other. Hacker pointed across the pool, to the other side, indicating the land beyond. "Who lives there?"

Sinead looked up at the land, shrugging. "Every time I had been here, nobody was there. I remember seeing a woman once on the property, though. Asked her, and she said that it was a corporate company's vacation home, so some of the employees could get a little rest and quiet."

"With_these_ goons around?"

"They weren't here at that time."

"Makes sense. Hey, look."

Sinead looked over at where she could see part of the driveway. An expensive-looking pickup with an extended cab was seen for a moment, then disappeared again. Sinead blinked, then shrugged. "So we have neighbors for a while."

"Whose property is the waterhole on?"

"Ours."

Five minutes later found Optimus and Megatron arguing loudly about something or another in robot mode, Dinobot and Rattrap still trying to drown each other as humans, and the majority of those who were in the water were cheering either one or the other. Rampage walked over with Lady Venom perched upon one shoulder, in robot mode. They saw the man on the other side of the waterhole staring in shock.

Megatron chose that time to yell, "And I don't _care_ about who they said did that, I'd kill whatever human chose that specific demise at _your_ hands! That blasted series _sickened_ me! As if _I_ would do something like that, taking over Cybertron?! Killing two of my own units at the end of the Wars?! Blasted _idiots_ knew _nothing_ about us!"

Sinead and Hacker saw the new human, and Sinead cleared her throat, saying under her breath, "Think we can bluff our way out of this?"

"Not a chance," Lady Venom replied dryly.

Hacker blinked at the man, trying to see his face clearly, then laughed and grinned, leaning over to yell into the pool, "Rattrap, you suck at swimming!"

"Hey!" He was shoved under by Dinobot, who whooped as his feet were pulled out from under him by Sapphire, who shot out of the water as quickly as possible, laughing.

Sinead navigated the wide beam that had been placed over the narrow mouth of the waterfall, walking over to the other side to greet the new guy. And the moment that she saw the man's face, she stopped, then laughed and walked again. "So, if you were to bet who would win down there, who would you pick?"

He blinked, then looked down in time to see Dinobot send Rattrap skittering over to the far side of the pool. "Him. The big one."

A bellow erupted, and Rampage and Rhinox were trying to throw each other in again. Sinead sighed, then grinned. "Ten on Rampage!"

"Five on Rhinox!" was taken up by Rattrap before he was dunked again.

More cries were called out, and Sinead looked back at him. "Welcome to Massachusetts."

The man looked at her. "You know who I am?"

"Of course. I'm a fan." She glanced down. "Oh, hold on a second, please?" Her voice bounced off of the walls of the waterhole as she yelled, "Rattrap, Dinobot, clear off!"

"But–"

"You_really_ want one of those two landing on you?"

Snorting, Dinobot walked out of the pool, shifting to his beast mode and scaled the wall to stand beside Sinead easily. His gaze swept over the man's face, and he nodded, hearing Rhinox's fluid curse being cut off by the splash of water. The raptor nodding his head respectfully to him, who blinked in shock as the snarling voice spoke with pride. "You did well with my voice, Scott McNeil. Not many could imitate it."

The voice actor was shocked. Something came to the front of Sinead's mind, and she looked at Dinobot, patting the side of his snout and getting his attention. "Have you seen Silverbolt?"

A snicker, a grin, and Dinobot replied, "The question, Sinead, is_where is the she-spider_."

"Ew-ew-ew! No, I think that we'd better _not_ disturb them, wherever they are." She shuddered, then looked back at the Canadian. "So, did you want to use the swimming-hole?

Scott blinked, shrugged, and said, "Well, I've used it before, but never with permission."

"Oh, gosh, don't worry about it. My family doesn't mind you using it, and they never had in the past, as long as it was clean."

Dinobot transformed, grinned, and Sinead's shoulders stiffened. "I'm not wearing my bathing-suit, so don't you _dare_, Dinobot. I don't have any clean summer-clothes left."

"Oh, that so?" came the taunting reply.

His hands grabbed her carefully, and he tried to toss her in, but quickened reflexes and stronger hands caused Sinead to grab his wrist at the last moment, and swing herself back and behind Dinobot, shoving him from behind into the pool. His angry bellow echoed before hitting the water, and Rattrap and the rest cheered, while Sinead bowed left and right. Turning with a smile, she said, "They'll play gentle around you, if you really want to cool off."

Scott smiled, and shook his head. "Not right away, but thanks. And that was well-done. Are you a martial-artist?"

"Me? Hah, no."

"Liar!" Rampage roared.

"Shut up!"

The man beside her chuckled, then said, "So you really are."

"I've got a few tricks up my sleeve that I was taught under the table," came the grumbled reply. She glared over at the crab, who turned human and attempted to hide behind a laughing Lady Venom. Sighing, she looked at the pair. "Well, we're having a cookout again, so if you'd like to come and join us, I'm sure that they'd like to get to know you."

"Sinead, look out!" Hacker yelled.

Alas, it was too late. Sinead hit the water as Dinobot climbed to the top of the rock wall and grinned down at her. She wriggled in the water, pulling a very small fish out from the top of her shirt, throwing it with amazing accuracy to hit Dinobot. Rattrap fell off the log laughing at Dinobot's indignant, astounded face. With great dignity, Sinead walked out of the pool, up to their side of the waterhole, and glared.

Dinobot grinned in reply, then flicked some water off of his hands while Hacker came over. Scott blinked, then grinned at her. "You were that girl at Ohayocon! And that one that wore that 'Got Scott' shirt!"

"Yeah, that was me!"

He laughed, indicating the still-glaring Sinead. "She's one of my fans?"

"Heck yeah. Loves and is ardently loved by Dino-boy here."

"Enough with the nick-names," Dinobot muttered.

"Ooo, you didn't even deny it!"

Scott tried unsuccessfully to hide a smile at the look of Hacker's imminent death on Dinobot's face. The warrior pointed to Sinead. "You really want me to deny that I love her? She's saved my life twice, always manages to cut through any anger or frustration that I have and sort things out, _and_ she is currently helping me with a situation that _you_ have no knowing about."

"Yeah, and that bugs me, because all of you always clam up when something even _indicates_ something that had happened in the Wars that _they_ helped sort out!" Hacker exploded quietly, _very_ glad for the chance to ask about what had been bothering her for the past few days. "Sinead won't tell me, Sapph won't tell me, Lady V clams up _really_ well about it, and I'm sick and blasted tired of your beating around the bush!"

Dinobot sighed. His face became a mask that expressed dull anger, emotional pain, and Scott even saw a great deal of unresolved grief there. The transformer replied quietly, in a saddened voice that the voice actor never knew he could have possessed. "Hacker, you have no _idea_ of the story that's behind what you're trying to find out."

"Sinead's saved you twice. Nobody will say how. They all look at where either you or she is, then shake their heads as if telling me is a fate worse than death!"

Sapphire and Rattrap were suddenly there under the guise of talking with Scott about how they liked the area, what they thought of the Beast Warriors, and et cetera. But in all honesty, they were lending Dinobot silent support while he tried to figure out what he was going to do, and how much he was going to say.

After a moment, Dinobot came to a resolution. He turned with the intent of asking Sapphire something, but forgot it instantly when his gaze met that of the man who had done his voice for the show. Mirth overflowed from them, but there was also a kind of . . . almost kinship. A look saying that no matter what happened, this man would help them. He would support them.

He didn't even know . . . _anything_ . . . but he was willing to do whatever he could for them. He was willing to show them that he wanted in not on what the story had been, but to be in with them, to _know_ them as the authors had.

Dinobot gave a barely-perceptible nod as his affirmation of the silent offer and pledge, then said to Hacker, "You will know tonight. There are some things that have been going on that we have yet to clear up after four months of living here. You'll hear the story. Scott, you are more than welcome to join."

The man nodded once, the look on his face grateful. "Would it be all right if David Kaye came as well?" Scott asked. "Not tonight, but he's coming tomorrow night."

"Why not?" Sapphire replied. "Anyone else coming?"

"I really don't know. Possibly Gary Chalk."

Dinobot snorted, snickering. "He enjoys chewing out kids who don't know anything, doesn't he."

"Why do you say that?"

"In 'Beast Wars,' Optimus is notorious for his speeches to Cheetor. Then there was that blasted hilarious scene in 'Freddy vs. Jason' where he cursed out some new kid on the squad."

"You saw that?"

"We got bored, an' decided dat we wanted ta freak out Cheetor on a stormy night," Rattrap replied, grinning. "And it worked. Especially with Rampage giggling."

"G-giggling."

"Yo! Crabbie! Giggle!"

"Only during masterpieces like 'Texas Chainsaw!' You know that, mouse!"

Scott blinked, paling slightly. "Somehow, that makes it all the more disturbing."

"He means nuthin' by it. Da point is ta scare, not ta be serious." Rattrap shrugged. "So what else is dere ta say?"

Dinobot snorted a laugh. "And there was another series that he worked on that aired recently, called 'Dragon Booster.' _You_ did a voice for that. Don't think I can't recognize it."

"But didn't Sinead point it out for you?" Sapphire asked.

"Silence!"

Sapphire laughed, then nodded back over her shoulder. "You can see the second cottage from here. The first is on the other side of it, a bit smaller than that one, but we're putting an addition on it." Her voice lowered conspiratorially. "And if you see Rhinox hanging around an older woman, pretend that you don't notice it."

"What?"

"Someone has a crush on my Bonded's mother," Dinobot clarified.

Hacker started giggling. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, unfortunately. She came in while you and Sinead were organizing everyone down here. And that's also why Rhinox decided that he'd try to topple Rampage into the water as he had done a week ago."

"Ouch. Talk about a blow to your pride."

"Pah. He'll live." Dinobot looked at the voice actor. "Go get yourself settled. We'll be starting the fire and getting things ready."

"I can help . . ."

Dinobot shook his head. "We won't need it."

Rattrap lightly hit Dinobot. "What da Choppuhface means is dat we're used ta doing stuff like dat, an' we all know what has to be done an' when."

"So I'll be in the way?"

"That could be a good thing," Sapphire said, looking to Hacker, who grinned. "Afer all, we've needed some fun."

.o.V.o.

Scott and Hacker now knew about the hardships that had brought this group as close together as they were. The author was leaning against Sinead, who had embraced her. "Hacker, these things happened for a reason, and we all acknowledge that."

"But . . . everything that happened . . ."

Meara walked over to sit upon Hacker's other side, rubbing at her back and resting her hand upon her shoulder. "Everyone here who was in those times knew that what they did then was the best that they could. I'm especially proud of my daughter for risking her life for a person she only knew as a Saturday-morning cartoon character. She never knew that this was what was destined for her. And now that she's gone through those trials and everything else that had happened, she's a stronger person for it. They all are. And I think that they are some of the most brave and simply amazing people that I have met in a long while." She smiled, holding up a tissue so that Hacker could take it to wipe at her eyes. "And I think that you did well in insisting that they tell you."

Dinobot was sitting on Sinead's other side, and to his left was Scott, who looked up at the stoic warrior with a new sort of admiration. Sure he had done Dinobot's voice, and he had struggled at times with the harsh, laryngitic tones, but he had always enjoyed the pure rush when he had gotten lines down. Sighing, he said to the warrior, "None of that was supposed to happen."

"Sinead and the others explained that to me, to us." Mournful blue eyes alighted upon Scott's blue-hazel-green ones, and Dinobot sighed in return, lowering his voice. "But it did. Now don't react _at all_. Something's over there."

"What's this 'something,' can I ask?"

"Not sure." Dinobot glanced at Optimus and Megatron, who started into another one of their famous arguments out of a normal conversation. Through glances and looks, all the humanized Beast Warriors got ready. Scott and his wife watched this, completely amazed. Sinead looked up at Dinobot, whispered something to Hacker, who let herself be embraced by Meara. Dinobot seemed to say something into Sinead's ear, and she went after him, while he deliberately fell off of the bench backwards in his apparent need to get away from the advancing young woman.

And then all havoc ensued.

Just as Rampage shifted modes to become the Transmetal crab, Rhinox, Inferno and most of the others moved to protect the humans who wouldn't be fast enough or hadn't been in the Wars to know how to accurately deal with a combat situation.

A large Transmetal burst out from under cover, tackling Rampage and stabbing downward with a strange-looking knife, piercing the metal chest. Rampage howled while Lady Venom yelped, trying to stay upright and move towards her Bonded. Megatron, Dinobot and Optimus timed a counter-attack, managing to shove the new transformer off of Rampage, while he pulled the knife and rested his hand upon his chest, not moving much. Lady Venom immediately rushed over to him, regardless of the danger that was rising again, curling her body around Rampage's head and whispering to him in a tiny, scared voice, wondering if he was all right. At his affirmative, she turned to glare at the newcomer, whose red optics watched in disgust.

Sinead walked over to Rampage. "You big baby. Sit up and lemme see that."

"It's healed, human. Back off."

"'Human'? Didn't we get past that point and to _names_ and _respecting_ each other?"

"Blasted . . ." the immortal grumbled, sitting up and resting his wrists on his knees casually, moving around slightly when Lady Venom maneuvered her way somehow to sit on his lap, leaning against his chest, muttering dark things about this new transformer.

Sighing, Sinead shook her head, walking past them and up to the Transmetal. "So how are you here?"

"Traced X. How else?"

"You're not going to understand this, but I'll try explaining it to you anyway. That's not the Protoform X, now aptly called Rampage, that you remember or even know," Optimus said. "He's from an alternate universe. The one from this universe was killed."

"That sicko murdered and raped–"

"More people than you know," Dinobot hissed. "And I will tell you that I _saw_ the Protoform X that had once belonged to this universe killed. This isn't him. There _is_ a difference in the energy signature." He growled an inarticulate note of complete irritation. "Enough of the blather. Behave if you're around here."

Hacker walked up to them, fearlessly looking up at the Maximal. "Depth Charge, you might want to listen to them."

"How do you know me."

She smiled kindly, and Sinead let a kind smile spread over her own face. "C'mon, everyone, back to dinner. Hacker, there's a nice path over there if you want to take a walk." She turned to Dinobot, then moved around his arms to embrace his torso, tugging him gently back towards the fire, sticking her tongue out at Rampage, who moved quickly enough to grab her ankle and suspend her upside-down. Depth Charge started forward, but quickly found Hacker in his path, smiling. "Watch."

"But he–"

"_Watch_," she insisted.

He looked back up, seeing Sinead grab the hand holding her, curling so that she had managed to cause him to hold her up almost as if she were a pet bird perched upon his hand. Rampage chuckled, bouncing his hand a few times in warning before flinging her straight up. She flipped easily, preforming acrobatics easily, coming back down to be caught by the Transmetal gently, then flung back up in the air a second time, Sapphire already running back over, yelling that she wanted a turn.

"You see? They were playing something like this in the waterhole over that way about a week ago. Then Sinead and Sapphire got so good that they wanted to try doing it without the water to catch them if either they mistimed or Rampage didn't catch them." Hacker smiled slightly, then said, "He'd hold bedside vigil if one of them were hurt by his action or inaction, whether intentional or not."

"You, missie, might want to include yourself in that category as well!" Rampage called over, catching Sapphire, then sending her up into the air a second time. "I've made vows, and Lady Venom made me include anyone that is in their inner circle." Sapphire was caught, and placed upon her own feet, Sinead already reaching for Rampage's hand.

She preformed a simple graceful arc, but wasn't able to flick her legs back the right way, causing Rampage to snarl a curse and jump to one side, catching Sinead gently. She was laughing, clinging to him. "Wow, that was stupid of me."

Rampage tried to set her down, but she argued, "I wanna do it right, this time."

He sighed, shaking his head. "You're suicidal."

"Am not. And I'll get it right."

"Fine."

And she did, demonstrating to Depth Charge her complete trust in Rampage. The Maximal shook his head. "I don't get it."

"That's okay. I didn't get it either for a while, until I got the chance to really sit down and talk with him," Hacker said, walking along the path that Sinead had indicated. Depth Charge hesitated for a moment, saw that Rampage was watching him almost in a sad sort of way, then turned and followed Hacker. He had to find out what was going on.

.o.V.o.

Sinead looked up from where she was looking over blueprints again. "Guests, Megs."

He shot out around the side of the house, transforming to his vehicle mode and skimming around so that he landed behind the small group of humans, just standing there and looking menacing. Optimus walked around the side of the house. Sinead and Lady Venom walked up to the group, each with their respective humanized Bonded beside them.

Most of them had familiar faces, starting with a man who sported a head of salt-and-pepper hair and a slightly-worried look upon his face as he saw Rattrap stalk out, looking over a pistol before priming it and looking up at the guests. Rampage shifted, becoming the hulking behemoth, causing more than a few faces to pale. A tall, bald-shaved man cleared his throat nervously, and Dinobot grinned, then shifted as well, causing a few whispers of astonishment. Everyone was in on what Scott had plotted. Sinead sighed, shaking her head. "So. What would a few of the voices of Beast Wars be doing in a town in the backside of nowhere?"

"Uh . . ." one of the guys said.

Tires crunching on gravel caused all the Cybertronians to look human, and Sinead grinned, seeing a van making its way slowly towards them. "Megs, go help your girl."

"Are_you_ presuming to tell _me_ what to do?" Megatron asked, all hard exterior around the strangers.

"You'll be presuming a rifle up your port if you don't get moving," Dinobot muttered loud enough to be heard.

Megatron blinked, then grinned and burst into chuckles. "Aah, but have I missed those comments, Dinobot, yes." Turning, he opened his arms in time to catch Starath and swing her around in an embrace, planting a kiss upon her cheek. "I have something important to show you."

"Is it a surprise?"

"Somewhat of one, yes."

Starath blinked, seeing the crowd. "They here for dinner? 'Cause whatever meat is being cooked smells like it's burning."

Inferno cursed, then walked around the addition, yelling back, "Sinead! You were the one who was supposed to watch this!"

"I never said that I was going to! I only wanted to see what you had killed, and then had to deal with a blueprint error! Tell her what poor, defenseless animal you ambushed and slaughtered, 'cause I couldn't tell what it was!"

"Deer! Open season!"

"Really?" Sinead asked. "Huh. Cool. So. Who's up for hunting tomorrow to stock up?"

Those who enjoyed hunting raised their hands, and Sinead nodded, hearing Starath squeal. "It's David Kaye!!! Megs, lemme go! I wanna glomp him!"

". . . you want to what? Hey! Stop squirming!"

Sinead laughed brightly. "All right, Starath, hold on a second."

"Awww," came the disappointed reply.

Sinead turned to look at the group. "So. What are you doing here? Wrong directions or what?"

A short, blonde woman walked forward. "I'm Susan Blu."

"Noted, and known," Sinead replied respectfully, nodding her head to the older woman. "We met once or twice before. I was wondering who lived in the house behind my own, and then always made a point of waving to whoever I could see on the property."

"I_thought_ you looked familiar. Well, Scott insisted that someone had changed the driveway since I had been there last, and apparently he's played another prank on us, landing us here."

"And not surprisingly without hazard pay," someone muttered.

Dinobot snorted, then began laughing, turning to walk back towards the addition. "Let them look around, I'd say." He stopped, turning around just enough so that he could look at Primal, causing the small group of humans to blink in wonder that he was smiling. "And besides. We have to finish this before it gets too cold."

"You_always_ hated the cold, didn't you?" Optimus grumbled, walking closer. He stopped, then asked, "But what about Starath? She's moving in."

"I'll take care of that, Primal," Megatron said. "It isn't much. Besides. You were too blind to know that Nurann is with her."

Optimus smiled. "Oh, I knew she was there, but she knew that _I_ had to help take care of things. Oof! Hey, beautiful."

Nurannoniel hung from Optimus' neck, gazing up at him and smiling. He embraced her, kissing her chastely, and then lead her over to the addition, showing her what they were working on. Sinead looked back at the voice actors, hearing her mother laughing in the kitchen, then heard Scott's voice, which ended in a high yelp. The author turned to see Meara chase the voice actor out, brandishing a large wooden spoon. Sinead grinned. "So. Scott. What did you think of Dinobot, again?"

Scott McNeill blinked, hiding behind the other voice actors. "Tall. Built. And holy crap, the fangirls will be crawling all over him."

"Not likely, an' you _know_ dat." Rattrap replied. "'Cause he's taken, an' his to-be wife will beat dem off wid an ugly stick. Note dat expensive-lookin' ring on dis beautiful, charming, adorable, lithe little missie here?"

Sinead turned to glare at the Transmetal Maximal, seeing him just as something came flying from the second floor of the addition and hit him squarely on the back of his head. She blinked at the large hammer that had bounced a few times upon the ground afterwards. "Wow. Anyway." After glaring up at the human Dinobot, seeing him dusting his hands off and grinning, Sinead turned to look at Scott. "You know that he wouldn't allow them near him. Besides, that's a trivial matter." She turned to the others. "So we knew you were coming, decided to play a small joke, and to make up for making you feel like fools, we have something just this side of a banquet planned."

"Stew is nearly ready," Meara said, tossing the spoon from one hand to the other. She stalked back into the house.

"_What_ did you _say_?" Sinead hissed, walking up to Scott.

"That I thought that her and Rhinox were a cute couple."

Sinead hid her face in her hands. "Scott, never talk to my mother that way. You're lucky that all you got away with was a stung bottom."

"That was your mother?" Gary Chalk asked quietly.

"Yeah. Why?"

"I hope I never make you angry."

"So do I. I'd hate to hurt you."

"I'd hate to be on the receiving end of one of those glares."

"Been there," Scott said. "Not going back. Will your mom kill me if I walk into the kitchen again?"

"To do what?"

"Humiliate Rhinox."

"Was he there when you said that?"

Scott blinked, then nodded. "Yeah."

"Then you're lucky that you're still conscious. He'd throw a _table_ after you."

"Your mom hit me before he could react. She's _lethal_ with a wooden spoon."

Garry Chalk, David Kaye, and David Sobolov snickered. Susan shook her head. "So the driveway wasn't moved?"

"Nah."

"We're settling in, then."

"When you want to come back, you can cross over the waterhole," Sinead offered. "If you don't mind heights. We put a thick board over it, right in front of the waterfall, so we could jump in wherever we wanted to." She smiled, shrugging.

Optimus had the last words, as he always enjoyed doing while introducing people into a new environment. His smile was bright, and with Nurannoniel perched upon one of his shoulders, his hand helping her stay balanced, he spoke. "Welcome, all of you, into a new chapter of the Beast Wars. You're bound to enjoy it."


	12. Renewing Devotion

Stolen Virtue  
By: Sinead

_**Author's Note:**__ Met Scott McNeil at Anime Boston 2005 . . . and he's exactly how I thought and imagined him to be. No, I take that back. He's __**better**__ than I would have ever thought, and I can't wait to meet him again. And that's basically why I haven't gotten this out sooner. That, and I've been having some HORRENDOUS writer's block for almost everything Beast Wars. And that royally bites. No pun intended, if you'll continue to read this chapter. winces_

_**Note January 13, 2008:**__ I also was able to meet Scott McNeil again at Botcon 2006. He's a crazy sucker, that man. But you just have to love him. Even if you love other voice actors more._

Chapter Twelve: Renewing Devotion

.o.V.o.

Sighing, Sinead looked out the window at the two humanized bots trying to test their strength _again_. She looked to Meara, who chuckled. "I think it's amusing, at least."

"Hah. You won't for very much longer."

"Mm . . . well, you never know."

"Oh? Is someone starting to enjoy the company of another certain someone?"

The mother gave her daughter a very real glare just as Dinobot walked into the room, eyes bleary from a nap. He transformed to his reptilian beast mode, the Predacon-turned-Maximal leaned against Sinead's shoulder, rubbing his cheek a few times against the fabric to deal with an itch before muttering, "They're at it again?"

"Only this time they're in a poison-ivy zone . . . and they don't know it," Sinead replied, grinning. "I know Rampy's immune, but Rhinox ain't gonna be happy 'bout it later this week."

Meara chuckled in an evil way, and suddenly Dinobot knew where Sinead had gotten the fantastic modeling for building her attitude and personality from.

And he grinned.

.o.V.o.

That night, Rhinox itched. Not everywhere, but in three or four distinct places. He knew that he had gotten it from his tumble in the poison ivy while sparring with Rampage, and mentally shrugged it off. He'd just transform to his robot mode if he got too annoyed and itchy.

But the itches weren't supposed to start until tomorrow.

Yawning, he stood and walked to the bathroom mirror, turning a light on and blinking. He turned his head slightly, and blinked, his eyes widening in shock.

Screamed shrilly.

.o.V.o.

Meara jumped awake, her hand automatically gripping a hardwood walking staff as she did so. Opening her door, she saw Optimus and Nurann staring at her, quickly joined by Rattrap and Sapphire. The five then walked down the hall and to the bathroom. Meara knocked upon it. "You all right in there?"

The door opened, and Rhinox pointed to his neck. "There! Right there! What is that _thing_?!"

Sighing, having done this many times before, the mother shoved Rhinox's shoulder back, thus moving him a step backward. "Sit on the edge of the tub, you big baby. It's a tick. Nasty little buggers, but it's relatively harmless for a parasite."

"Parasite?!"

Sapphire didn't envy Rhinox as he was delivered a withering _look_ from Sinead's Mum. "Stop whining."

Sinead and Dinobot ran into the house, peeking around the other four. The young woman spoke first. "We were just taking a walk around when we heard the shriek. What is it?"

"Tick."

She shuddered, backing away instantly. "I'm making tea."

Sapphire and Nurann followed her while the men stood in the doorway. Meara sighed explosively. "Sinead!"

"What?! You _know_ I get queasy about ticks! I had _two_ on me once, remember?! I was a bawling _mess_! And the time before when there was only _one_ wasn't any better!"

"Fine! Find someone else to help me!" But Meara's voice wasn't annoyed, just expressing slight irritation at being woken up so abruptly. She was efficient, and in her efficiency, she wanted to get it over with so that she could get back to bed.

"Why?"

"I'm counting three ticks. So far."

"Oh,_great_."

Meara rummaged through the medicine cabinet for Q-tips and . . . "Where's the nail-polish remover?"

"Under the sink!"

"Thanks!"

Retrieving it, Meara poured a capful and dipped a Q-tip into it. "Don't move."

"What are you doing?" came the quavering reply.

Rattrap leaned in closer, blinking. "So dat's a tick? Dey look nasty."

"They're nothing. Unless you get the wrong type, which carry a disease," she replied in a distracted voice, carefully pushing the hair at the nape of Rhinox's neck away from the bug so she could sponge the area with the acetone-soaked cotton swab.

The large African-American man quivered again.

"These aren't that type. This is too big to be one of those, so it's a dog tick. The deer ticks are the ones to look out for, and they're smaller. Ask my daughter about the details of what they look like. Sinead! Get me some tape while you're out there!"

Megatron's sleepy voice interrupted as he looked into the bathroom. "What the Pit is going on here, and what are you doing?"

.o.V.o.

Almost a half-hour later, Rhinox glared at the minute bugs, positively glowering. Meara sighed. "Those are the ones I could find off of the bat. Hey! You four!"

Optimus, Rattrap, Megatron and Dinobot looked up.

"Yes, you stooges. Does any of you think that you can do what I just did?"

"Pull ticks?" Dinobot asked.

"Yeah."

"Don't count on it."

Optimus sighed. "Why?"

Meara stretched her left arm while looking at the grey-eyed man. "Because any others he might have . . . I don't want to know about, or the location of."

Dinobot sniggered, quickly getting out of range of any potentially-thrown objects.

.o.V.o.

Yawning, a mug of coffee in his hand, Garry Chalk walked over the waterhole, seeing Depth Charge enjoying the water in the early-morning heat. Hacker was sitting upon a log and dry, talking with the large Maximal. He raised a hand in greeting, continuing on his way to the main cabin. When he entered, he saw Rhinox as a human, looking completely drained and slouching in a chair. Optimus and Nurann appeared to have breakfast duty.

"You look bushed, and it's only nine in the morning," he commented with a slight smile.

"Ticks. I hate ticks."

"Ah. Trophies from your wrestling yesterday, I take it?"

"Nine of them."

"Ouch."

"No, what was 'ouch' were the ones that–"

"Not in the house, please, and not before breakfast," Sapphire said, yawning. "I heard your cursing. I'm actually shocked that Rampy didn't have any on him."

"They fall off. I've seen it happen," Lady Venom said as she brought in milk, eggs, sugar and bread from her stop at a convenience store. "Morning, everyone. Only Optimus and Rhinox were up when I left."

Garry smiled, and sat. "Hacker and Depth Charge are up and at the waterhole."

"Then I'd suggest to everyone that we keep out of range for a while. Those two need their time to get to know each other," Nurannoniel said, smiling quietly.

.o.V.o.

"I still don't think that I believe you."

"Aw, c'mon. You can turn human, right?"

"Ye-es?"

"And you've seen the toys."

"Again, yes."

"Have you seen the series yet?"

"No."

"I'll show it to you. Sinead brought it up with her."

"The entire thing?"

"Yep. She's a big fan. Most of us are." Hacker smiled, relaxing and watching the blue sky. Garry walked from what was becoming known as the "Mainframe Cabin" to the first one, which had been somehow dubbed "Axalon." The new cabin was known as "Darkside;" Dinobot and Sinead's cabin was known as "Valhalla;" Megatron and Starath's was known as "The Throne" to everyone but those two. They hadn't shared their name for their cabin yet. Rattrap and Sapphire's was called "Brooklyn."

She smiled, sighing, seeing him lounge in the water. His optics were aimed at her eyes. "So what's with Dinobot and Megs and a good portion of the others? They're different from me, somehow, and from the others. Almost not as Cybertronian as I would think them to be."

"They're Bonded with a human. Dinobot with Sinead, Megatron with Starath, Rattrap with Sapphire, Inferno with Miss Special, who you haven't met yet; Optimus with Nurann, and Rampage with Lady V."

"How'd that come around? I've only heard of one other Cybertronian-human Bond-pair that had actually worked."

"Equal need, they said."

Depth Charge blinked at the dark-haired human, then moved closer to lean against the rock next to hers. He didn't think that it was equal need. There were too many variables to take into account, and if what was said about Sinead and Dinobot was true, then she was by far less physically injured than her Bonded. "So what's with this teasing that the other humans are aiming at you?"

She blushed, leaning over to lightly dope-slap the Maximal, causing him to grin under his mask. Depth Charge was right in his guessing that she liked him. He never expected _anyone_ to take a liking to him, not since he'd become nigh-obsessed with hunting a certain crab that, in this universe, was now dead and replaced with one that had actual _reasons_ to level the bases. Or so Lady Venom had told him. He hadn't spoken with Rampage yet, and wasn't sure that he was ready to keep his temper under control as of yet.

Yet what really shocked him was that he was starting to like this young woman in return.

.o.V.o.

"He's smiling."

"Ssh! Lookit them . . ."

"I am, my Lady. I am."

Lady Venom smiled at her Bonded, then peeked back over the edge of the waterhole. A human Rampage was doing the same, and after another moment they crawled backwards then stood and went back to the house, where there was a decided absence. Hacker walked in right after them, asking, "Where's Sinead?"

"And Dinobot?" came the next question from across the room.

Meara set the kettle back upon the stove, looking at the now-silent group. They returned the steady gaze, and she shook her head, making the decision for the younger generation. "Leave them be."

"You're her mum, though, right?" Garry stated, having had a few chats with the woman since he had come, and had gotten to bantering with her, learning as much about her in the process as she learned about him. Both found it not just amusing, but endearing when Rhinox got overly jealous. "Shouldn't you be slightly more protective? I mean, I've heard how she's . . . ahm . . . well . . . sworn off that which belongs within the boundaries of marriage?"

Her staunch, fixed look stopped any more conversation along those lines. Her tone and words left room for no argument. "Mister Chalk, believe me when I say that my daughter's life is her own. _And_ I fully recognize that Bonding is the complete equivalent of marriage in their culture. _Therefore_, whatever happens between them is _indeed_ 'completely within the boundaries of marriage.' And there will be_no interference_."

Discussion ended, she returned to making tea, hearing conversation rise back up to the normal dull-roar that it usually was. Her thoughts, however, were racing. It was almost ten in the morning. Sinead _always_ was up to help out the others with anything that needed done, not to mention she checked everything around the property to make sure that things were safe or aesthetically pleasing to the eye. But nobody really had known Sinead long enough that when she was able to sleep in, she did so, and with gusto. She loved to just languish in bed for hours, drifting in and out of slumber until she either got too hungry, or nature came screaming and she had to trudge to the bathroom.

Grinning, Meara noticed that she had made two cups more than necessary. Huh. Looks like she'll bump into her daughter after all.

.o.V.o.

"All right, you two, unlock the door."

Sinead jumped awake at the sound of her mother's voice at the bedroom window, which was open for fresh air. "Is something wrong?!"

The chuckle on the other side of the shutters was reassuring. "No, unless you count the rumors that have just started to fly around about you two."

Dinobot rolled over, sighing. "Just what we need."

"I have tea."

Sinead and Dinobot shot out of bed, opening the doors as they went. Meara blinked at them. "Well. So nothing happened last night between the two of you?"

"Nothing at all," Dinobot replied, taking the tray and resting it upon the small kitchen table. "We were up until four what with helping you and then taking care of a few small issues here."

"Issues being . . . ?"

"Just small stuff," Sinead replied, yawning and leaning upon the wall. "Nothing _too_ too serious."

"Ah. Well. I should tell those hooligans at the main cabin that they were completely wrong about what you two had been up to, and that if I hear anything else upon the rumors or the subject, then they'd better watch out."

"Yes, Mum, your wrath is not something that they'd like to come up against," replied the laughing voice of her daughter. She shrugged, sitting and yawning again. "But it's been a _long_ few months for us, so I'm not surprised that they haven't seen me sleep in before. I wanted to make sure that things were all right on the property and with whoever needed a boost or just someone to talk to, so . . . I guess that I've just been exhausting myself."

"Yes, you most certainly _have_," came an irritated snap from Sapphire, who looked around the door. "And I've been worrying that that's what you've been up to. Now _will_ you knock it off?"

Smiling, Sinead nodded. "All right, time to indulge myself. That's what you're telling me to do? Stop prying into everyone's business?"

"You're_not_ prying. Just helping, and managing to stretch yourself too thin. We're fine and we can handle things on our own at this point." Sapphire smiled, walking into the house completely, sitting upon the couch. "But that doesn't mean that we don't appreciate your efforts. Now get back to bed and finish sleeping. I'll take lunch."

Dinobot guided his Bonded back to the bed, whispered something to her, then walked back out, closing the door and smiling, sitting at a chair. "She'll sleep through anything right now. So what were you_really_ coming here to talk about, Meara?"

"Your relationship with my daughter. I've already spoken to her about you a while back, but I don't believe that _we've_ had the talk yet."

"I'll leave you two up to that, then," Sapphire said, standing. "I knew that the rumors were wrong, but I wanted to see if she was all right anyway."

The British South African young woman left, closing the door softly, leaving the concerned mother and her son-in-law alone for one of the first times. Dinobot sighed, fingering the handle of his mug almost nervously. "What did you want to know?"

"Why you allowed her to risk her life for you, for starters."

"I didn't have any other choice. Nor was I quite _given_ one, as she seemed to have set her mind upon saving me no matter the consequences." He shook his head, setting the tea upon the table and looking at his hands. "She was too slagging determined to have me live. She . . ." Rubbing at his face, the black-haired man continued talking. "She was nearly always there when I woke up. I knew that there was something other than just her simple concern for me behind _why_ she was keeping vigil."

"That something was a love she held for you _alone_," Meara replied. "I know my daughter. When she had met our infamous Scott McNeil for the first time at a convention, quite a bit before she had even met you, she had told him that you were her husband; you just didn't know about it yet."

That dragged a chuckle from the weary husband. "Go figure. I'd expect nothing other than that from her."

"And he replied in _your_ voice, I've heard."

"That, Meara, I can certainly see. He's a character all unto himself." Dinobot sat back. "But why did you bring that up?"

"Because it should help you understand her even that little more," Meara replied. "For you to die before her eyes, for you to not even want to _try_ to live . . . it would have killed that love she held for you, the_extremely_ high respect she holds you in, and something would have been broken as a result of you giving up." The mother swallowed. "It would have broken her warrior's spirit."

.o.V.o.

"So? What's the sitch over dere?" Rattrap asked the moment Sapphire returned to the main cabin.

She blinked. "Sinead just slept in. She was overtired. And Meara says to kill the rumors."

"Out of curiosity," Scott asked, "why?"

"Well, it's either you kill them, or she comes after you with something that will most likely cause you great pain and suffering. Such as another wooden spoon. Possibly larger and heavier."

A collective gulp was witnessed, and Sapphire grinned. "So. Who's up for some swimming?"

.o.V.o.

Scott wasn't. As soon as he had been able to, he had gotten over to "Valhalla" just in time to eavesdrop upon the end of his first meeting with Sinead. He continued to listen, hearing the silence that followed Meara's words of what could break her daughter. A broken sigh, followed by a deep intake of air was all that he could hear on the other side of the window.

"Meara, I . . ."

A long pause.

"After . . . after getting to know her, Meara, I can now see that I hadn't treated her . . ."

"The way you should have, eh?" The older woman's voice said, gaining optimism and a slight humor within its depths.

"Affirmative."

"But did she give up on you? You see how she is towards you. You know how she feels, even more so than _I_ know how she feels. You're the one she confides in. You're her husband." A low chuckle from the mother. "That's how it should be between a man and his wife."

"She never gives up on what she feels strongly about."

"Ah. And?"

"She feels strongly about me."

"Atta boy. And?"

A deep sigh was coupled with a slight snarl at being talked to like a child, even though he knew Meara was gently teasing and goading him along. "I've been not-so-good towards her?"

"No, not that I've seen."

"Over-protective?"

"Nope."

"Sometimes–"

"Too hovering, perhaps?" Scott called in softly.

"Get in here," Meara said, opening the door. "And no."

Scott smiled, entering and leaning against the wall. "Great job with this. I'm thoroughly impressed."

"Thank you," the human Dinobot replied. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm not getting at what you're trying to infer, Meara."

"You're too harsh on _yourself_ when you accidentally do something that upsets her. She's the same. Always has been. She holds regrets a little longer than she should, but she will grow out of that in time." Shrugging, Meara stood. "But the two of you are well-matched, and you're doing a lot of good for each other. Get a little more sleep while you can. I'll make sure that everyone knows that this place is off-limits." She turned, nearly walking into Scott. "Lump of uselessness. Move, will ye?"

He replied in the same accent. "Naow, but to–"

"You're annoying, should be languishing in the sun like any other actor on vacation, and my daughter and son need sleep in here. You'd keep him awake. Out."

Laughing, the actor made his exit, turning Rattrap around just as he passed him, guiding him back to the main cabin while Meara griped the entire way back, poking fun at the duo. Dinobot closed the door, then rubbed at his face again and picked the mug up from the table, walking back into the bedroom and curling up behind Sinead. Maybe having more people around wasn't all that bad of an idea after all.


	13. Break It Down

Stolen Virtue  
By: Sinead

_**Author's Note:**__ Many, many kudos, brownie points, cookies and thanks to Lady Venom for helping me find out what the Pit to do with this chapter, 'cause otherwise, it wouldn't've happened. And for those of you who question my fashion taste for guys? I formally apologize. It's just that I think one of the characters would've looked really cute in the style. Hah! Didn't spoil it for you, nyah!_

Chapter Thirteen: Break it Down

.o.V.o.

Shuddering away from her touch, Dinobot lurched out of bed, moving to stand before the window that overlooked the back part of the clearing, towards the large stream. Again, the dream. Again, the pain renewed.

Sinead followed him, yawning and rubbing at her eyes. She started speaking before she was halfway across the living/dining room. "Something the matter?"

"No."

"You're lying," she said through a smile, chuckling kindly. "And that's insulting me."

"Fine. Something is the matter," he snapped.

"At least that's a start. Now what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"I told you not to lie to me," she said, all seriousness now, eyes no longer alight with teasing.

His dark gaze met her own. "I have no wish to tell you, all right?"

"Why not? We're married by Cybertronian terms–"

_Not exactly . . ._ he thought darkly.

"–so why can't you tell me what's bothering you?" She rested her hand upon his elbow lightly, but he snatched it away, eyes wide, scared, angry and tense.

"Don't touch me!"

"Dinobot!"

"No! No, please Sinead, you don't understand . . ."

"I_would_ if you would just open up!"

"But you–"

"I what?" Sinead snarled back, leaning closer. "_I'll_ tell you what. I'm here for you every single day, every moment of the day. You're pushing me away for some reason." Her voice only grew angrier. "I've given _everything_ I have towards you in _your_ favor. I've moved here, I've managed to get a good job here, and I've been more than generous in how I've been giving you every spare second that I can gather." The woman was too angry to stop now, and that anger and tension needed a release. "And I can't even allow _myself_ to relax and have a good, stress-relieving cry because I'm keeping strong for _both_ of us! And you know what, Dinobot?" He saw as bright tears welled up within her eyes, giving them a feverish look. "I'm sick of being the strongest. I'm sick of how I'm holding both of us afloat. It's your turn."

Turning, she pulled a thick Irish-knit cardigan over her head, shoving her feet roughly into slip-on sandals, and left the house, every movement laced with vehemence.

Dinobot was shocked, but . . . he knew he deserved it. He returned to the bedroom, hearing Sinead return about an hour later, feet dragging, tired. He didn't watch the bedroom door, but listened, hoping she would do as she had always done before and come to talk with him.

Something hit the floor with a sliding "fumph," and Dinobot figured it was the cardigan. Then came the double-clunks of the heavy sandals, closer to the bedroom. Silence. The couch squeaked, and he heard Sinead sigh as she settled herself out there.

He turned over, looking out through the crack between the shutters, and suddenly realized that something was far more wrong between them than he had first thought.

And he knew it had to do with how far he had allowed the Bonding to go.

Which wasn't very far at all.

Closing his eyes, Dinobot whispered, "I'm sorry."

Silence met him.

He fell asleep.

.o.V.o.

"So it was a bad idea to try this after all."

"Not by my standards."

"I'm not how I would have pictured myself! This doesn't look like how I should!"

"That didn't make sense at all, but if you're worried about your looks, don't worry; you're gorgeous. But it's not like I knew what was going to happen."

"Neither did I!"

"I never said that you did!"

The two humans stared at each other. Hacker blinked first. Depth Charge, newly-Bonded, newly-human, sighed, reaching over hesitantly to touch her hair, feeling it with human skin for the first time. He tried a smile, but it came out looking saddened. "I'm sorry. I'm . . . not that good with sudden change."

Hacker leaned into his palm slightly, lowering her gaze, blushing, and looking back up at his face. "It's all right. Hey, uh . . . let's get you something to wear, 'kay?"

.o.V.o.

"Uno!"

"Uno? That's bull, Rattrap. And wrong game."

"Huh?"

"I was outta cards almost a full minute before you were."

"Wait. You had ta be outta cards?"

"This is called 'Speed.' It's almost like 'Snap,' but you don't hit the pile you want. You just have to get outta cards before your opponent does, then you start it over again."

"That's . . . not fair . . ."

"I_explained_ all the rules before we started!"

"Aww, Sinead!"

"Don't 'Sinead' me!" the young woman said, laughing. "_You_ weren't the one listening! You were watching Sapphire!"

"Not_my_ fault I was distracted." He leaned in, face dually incredulous and disbelieving. "Are you saying dat you don't catch Choppuhface lookin' at 'ya as you're stretchin' out fer a duel?"

"That's irrelevant." And what a great way to bring up the one person she really didn't want to think about right now.

"Hah! My pink butt it is! It ain't one bit different!"

Sapphire was laughing at the exchange, but saw Lady Venom and Hacker approaching. "Hey, did you find those other decks of cards, Lady V?"

"Hah! Yep. _And_ a piece of trouble while doing so." She pondered for a moment, then added, "But it's also good news."

That caught everyone's attention. Dinobot was in beast mode, and had been silently watching the game from the couch. His wife and Rattrap were known to be two of the loudest arguers in the group, at this point. That was almost scary. The ex-Predacon turned his gaze slowly to Lady Venom. "And that would be?"

"_Some_one was Bonded last night. And Depth Charge needs clothing."

Happy chaos ensued.

.o.V.o.

Depth Charge was being checked out by all the girls in the group. Sure, they said that it was for sizing and who could contribute what item of clothing, but honestly, there were more than a few comments upon his almost-sea-green eyes, his build, and whatnot. Thankfully, he had been given a pair of swimming trunks, and didn't have to worry about any other comments upon places that even _he_ didn't want to think about just quite yet. Finally, after Hacker had written down the sizes, she shooed them out of their room, smiling up at him. "You feeling all right?"

The look on his face was priceless. "Sorry, but I'm unused to being cooed over."

Laughing, Hacker smiled, holding up the neatly-folded clothing that had been lent to him. "But you're really cute. And your voice is almost the same as it is in your robot mode: deep, mysterious, enchanting . . ."

"Gag me."

That caused the Bonded young woman to laugh harder. "Oh, come on, Depthy, it's not that bad."

"I didn't say that it _was_," he muttered after a pause. "I just . . . have to adjust. With you. And _Depthy_? What the Pit?!"

Smiling, blushing, Hacker handed him the clothing. "All right, change into those–"

"How?"

"What?"

"How do I change into these?"

"You're kidding."

"Least it proves that I wasn't peeking on you."

"Look, I said that I was sorry about saying that!"

"It caused me hell with Rattrap!"

"I said I'm sorry!"

The human Depth Charge grinned. "And I'm sorry for teasing."

". . . oh, you _jerk_."

"Tips on dressing?"

Sighing, Hacker held up the jeans. "Tags go in the back, closures to the front."

"That's backwards."

"To_you_, maybe. Not to us. Anyway, that shirt there slips over your head, arms through those holes there. Good so far?"

"Why the Pit are there so many layers?"

"Because we said so," the author replied, not losing a beat or pausing. "This shirt here, called a 'button-down' for an obvious reason, slips on over the arms, the open side to the front."

"What's that?"

"Belt. It slips through these loops here, holding the pants up."

"Finally. Something semi-logical."

"Socks slip on over the feet, then shoes, and then you're done." She pranced out of the room, but poked her head back in to smile at him. "I'll be just outside the door, 'kay? Call if you have problems."

Depth Charge looked back at the items before him. "Hey. What about this thing?"

Hacker looked in again, and proceeded to blush lightly. "Those're boxers. They go on before the pants. The hole is in the front."

"I put these on over what I have on now?"

"No." She disappeared again.

Depth Charge smiled, understanding her embarrassment, then started to change.

Before long, he was dressed in the items that everyone had pulled together and walked out the door to meet Hacker. She tugged at his collar slightly, straightening it gently. He shrugged a little, letting the fabric settle around him, then looked at his . . . _his_ Bonded. And smiled for her.

.o.V.o.

Almost everyone was in the main cabin, watching a card game called Thieves be played by Sinead, Sapphire, Rattrap, Lady Venom, Starath, and Megatron. After Megatron had been dubbed winner, Lady Venom groaned, letting her head fall to the table. "And I was _sure_ that I had him that time!" Her words dissolved into language too foul to be translatable.

Laughing, Sapphire reached to the counter behind her to pick up her drink and sip at it. Sniffing, Lady Venom looked up. "I'm bored. Let's go into town and see what kinda clubs are there."

"You'd have more luck in Boston," Sinead replied, distracted with sorting the cards back into their respective fifty-two-count decks, two Jokers in each.

"Yeah, I know, but . . . Woah, here, you know of clubs in Boston?! And here I was, thinking you were a good girl!"

She slammed a completed deck down on the table. "I am!" was her reply.

"Then how do you know of the good clubs there?"

"Concerts, friends, that kinda stuff." Sinead shrugged, shoving another deck into its case.

"Yeah,_right_. Anyway, let's go club-looking!"

"We also need to go shopping," Starath piped in. "I need some new jeans and shirts."

"Depth Charge needs a wardrobe."

"No kidding."

"I need to get new shoes and belts."

"What happened to the four belts that you got earlier this month, Megs?" Miss Special asked. She had arrived during the night, and hadn't bothered telling many people about it. "You know, the pink and purple sparkly ones that Starath said looked too adorable on you?"

His face turned purple with anger, but Starath laughingly held him back, sitting on him so that he wouldn't move. Her job done, Miss Special leaned against the counter, Inferno by her side. "Besides. I need to get some shampoo. And hunting knives. They sell those over here, right?"

Dinobot watched the conversation silently, then turned and left the main cabin, taking a walk through the thin woods between the main cabin and his and Sinead's. He continued walking until he came to the edge of the gully where the stream from the swimming hole ran though. Following it back up towards its source, he listened to the distant laughter. It was too painful to watch them all together like that. Oblivious to the pain of the world. To the atrocities that happen every day to someone, somewhere. Oblivious.

If only . . .

Sighing, he looked down into the waterhole, then across it and towards the almost-abandoned Mainframe cabin. All but one voice actor had returned to their homes, summer vacation over.

If only it was different.

"Dinobot?"

Turning, he looked down at Sinead. "What is it?"

"We're heading out soon."

The human man nodded once. "I will go get ready."

"All right," she replied softly. "We're all going to be meeting in 'Axalon,' so when you're ready, all right?"

He nodded, and walked back to their personal cabin. Alone.

.o.V.o.

Sinead watched him, sensing Lady Venom walking up beside her, rather than hearing or seeing. "Something up, Shin?"

"I don't know."

A brief silence passed between them. "He all right?"

"No." Sinead sighed, rubbing at her nose. "Not at all. And I can't get through, this time."

Sapphire joined them. "Everyone's ready to go."

"Not yet," Lady Venom replied. "Dino-butt's not his usual idiot self."

The page-mistress of Beast Wars International looked at Sinead. "What happened?"

"I honestly don't know. He won't respond to something I'll say, sometimes, like I'm not even there. He'll stop in the middle of a sentence, and walk off, looking like someone kicked him in the gut." She sighed. "What's worse, is that some nights, he won't even let me touch him. Not casually, not at all. Something's wrong, but . . . what?"

Lady Venom bit her lip, then shook her head. "I . . . I think we'll just have to wait on that. C'mon, shopping time! Cheer up! Spend money!" She winked. "Especially on things that you know could be . . . shall we say, _useful_?"

"You cheeky little monkey!" Sinead laughed, playfully pushing Lady Venom, chasing her back into the house.

"Hey! I resent that statement! I'm no monkey!"

Sapphire followed at a more leisurely pace, stopping beside Rhinox, who was talking with Meara. Both looked at her, pausing their conversation. "Something wrong?"

"Dinobot's regressing into himself," she said softly, not wanting to be overheard.

The two elders looked at each other, and Meara embraced Sapphire. "We'll help handle things when it gets bad. Don't worry. Things will turn out all right."

Sapphire only wished that it were so as she piled into the van, seeing Sinead waving to the people who would be staying behind.

.o.V.o.

Strolling through the center of North Adams was fun. Since all the humanized 'bots were gorgeous, they attracted stares and girls no matter where they were. The three who attracted the most attention were Rampage (obviously), Megatron, and Inferno (surprisingly). Following that group was Rattrap, Depth Charge, and Dinobot equally. Just as Starath came out of the changing room with an especially-good-looking shirt on, she saw about five girls standing around Megatron. He saw her and walked over, kissing her lightly while making a scene about how beautiful she looked in the shirt.

Miss Special laughed, walking out of the changing room she had been in, showing Inferno the pants she knew she shouldn't get: black, with flames around the hems and traveling up the outside of her legs, ending mid-thigh. "Whatcha think, sweets?"

"Perfect!" he replied in his elegant British accent. "They are most becoming upon you, my dear."

"Well, I'm not getting them."

"Oh?"

"They're at least fifty bucks."

"Only? Then it is my treat."

"No, don't you even think about it."

"Aah, let 'im," Nurannoniel replied, her bought clothing in a bag. "He's loaded. Got a great job out here, and makes a ton of money."

"Therefore, my treat," the pyromaniac reiterated. "After all, nothing can match your beauty; the items you wear can only enhance it."

Miss Special blushed, and looked at the girls who were watching her with disgust. She grinned at them. "Want him, girls? Over my dead, drawn and quartered, charred, and scattered-to-the-winds body." She kissed his cheek, sweetly adding, "So deal with it."

Starath was in fits of giggles, watching the girls huff off, saying what a rude such-and-such Miss Special was. Nurann looked over her shoulder at the handsome-but-thankfully-semi-plain human Optimus. "Thank God I don't have their problems."

"Thank Primus that I have _you_ to scare them off if that happens."

"Sap."

"Romantic."

They grinned to each other, chorusing, "I love you."

"Primus, make this torture _end_," Megatron muttered.

.o.V.o.

Meanwhile, Sinead was in a furniture store, looking around for a bedside table with a lamp attached. Her Mum had one, and it had been relatively inexpensive, and easy to put together. Dinobot was behind her, trailing along with Rattrap, as Sapphire was looking for a coffee-table, and she was discussing with Sinead what style would go best with the cabin she shared with Rattrap. Rattrap caught up with the two, putting in his two cents and pointing in the direction of where he had seen something. Just as Dinobot was about to follow them, something from the corner of his eye dragged his attention to the right. It was a small room, looking like the store was redecorating it. Only a single light was on, its glow dim and not reaching all the corners.

A lone table occupied the room, the side facing him.

Nothing on the walls.

Someone must have hit a switch somewhere, because all the lights in the room burst to life, causing Dinobot to flinch slightly.

_Dinobot heard the dark laughter just before the lights snapped on, nearly blinding him. Megatron leaned over his once-comrade, and said smoothly, "I had said that I would be back, now didn't I?"_

"No," he whispered, rubbing at his eyes. "Not here."

_Rampage towered behind the overlord, emerald optics glinting in amusement and anticipation. "Scream, Dinobot. I want to hear you scream."_

"Not now."

"_No, Primus, no, don't let him near me again, Megatron!"_

He turned away, trembling, walking over towards where Rattrap was trying to convince Sapphire about a coffee table. The shorter man saw Dinobot and thumbed over towards where he could see Sinead's head bobbing around near the other side of the large, large room. As soon as he was close to her, he rested his arms around her, pressing his nose and forehead against her shoulder. He knew she could feel him shaking. He knew she would ask if he was all right. He knew he would reply that he was, even though he wasn't.

And so it happened as he knew it would, and they ordered the table, then moved on.

.o.V.o.

Lady Venom caught up with Sapphire, Rattrap, Sinead and Dinobot just as they were about to enter a coffee shop. "Hey!"

"Hey!" Rattrap replied. "Where's da crab?"

"Lugging all our crap home in the van. He'll be back to pick us up later. What've you four been up to?"

"Furniture shopping," Sinead replied.

"And we found the perfect table! It's gorgeous, and it'll fit in so well with the rest of the room!" Sapphire gushed. "The best part was that it was on clearance!"

"Bargain! Score!" All five walked into the small shop, getting in line for a warm drink. "Anything else happen?"

Sinead didn't mention Dinobot's weird behavior, instead talking about the new side-table, and how it was gonna save room. Once their drinks were handed to them, they were out of the store again, walking towards the Wal-Mart, seeing Hacker, Depth Charge, Starath, Megatron, Nurannoniel, Optimus, Miss Special and Inferno walking towards them. The group met up, talking about flocking fangirls everywhere they went, fun things they saw, items that could be birthday or Christmas presents, hinting to the guys as they did so . . .

They entered Wal-Mart, all pitching in to get Depth Charge workable clothing, since he had already agreed to pitch in with building cabins and helping out with grounds-keeping while he got used to moving around in a human body with human reactions and whatnot. Miss Special went off on her own, looking at the hunting section, then came back, claiming that they didn't have what she was looking for. They exited, seeing Rampage in the van, listening to oldies. Which wasn't about to be lived down for a long while, as Rattrap even said that he had been singing along.

Dinobot didn't even enter into the conversation, instead trying not to think of how they had to run through the hardware section of Wal-Mart to grab more nails, hammers, screws, screwdrivers, bits for the electric screwdriver, and order a few other tools, including the circle-shaped saw for their table saw, since the old one broke a tooth, and new bits for the scroll saw and stationary drill. He hadn't had another flashback, but instead had a sense of unease start to spread through him.

He didn't notice Rampage watching him fixedly, nor how the usually-Transmetal Predacon looked at Lady Venom, his gaze confused.

Next stop was the specialized hunting store. They _all_ piled in there, since some needed ammo for rifles, some needed crossbow bolts, others needed a new string for their bows, and Sinead was even picking up her customized hunting bow from being repaired, as a pulley had jammed, eventually breaking while one of the Transformers had been holding it for her as she had tied her shoe while practicing. Rattrap never really forgave her for that, since he had been whipped in the neck by the string suddenly losing tension. Nor did Cheetor forgiver her, either, since he had been the one that the pulley had snapped towards, hitting him in an unmentionable area. Thankfully, both were in robot mode at the time.

And Miss Special looked at the hunting and skinning knives. Sinead drifted over to her, picking out one to hold, feeling the balance and weight, then, dissatisfied, chose another hunting knife, and put half of the money for it down to have the store hold it for her until next week.

Miss Special held up a long, thin skinning knife, looking along its edge. The overhead lights from the store glimmered off of its surface. Dinobot looked up at the glint, then watched, along with many of the others, as the author started to flip it around, always catching it neatly, feeling the balance.

_He shut his optics off, slamming his head to the left, refusing to look at himself any longer. But closing his eyes would not stop the memories from rising to the surface. Megatron's face leering above him, Tarantulus' snickers as the spider had cut him while he did unmentionable horrors to the Maximal hostage . . . and then there was Rampage's giggles of glee as each whimper and scream was brought forth as every new burst of pain blossomed deep within the Maximal's body._

Dinobot turned away, feeling sick, and looked at the display of shotguns and hunting rifles. He didn't feel right. His stomach was turning, flipping. He knew this feeling, but wasn't about to let it get to him. Breathing deeply, silently, he looked down at the glass display case before him, seeing a display of swords from movies shown there. Mentally reciting the anatomy of each blade, he managed to stop his Spark from trembling as many times as it had been, but he still jumped as Sinead's hand rested upon his. "C'mon. Time to go."

He nodded, and they got back into the van. As Rampage now claimed the back seat with Lady Venom, Dinobot sat shotgun with Sinead driving. He watched the landscape flowing alongside the road, occasionally looking up at the mid-afternoon sky.

Dinobot never noticed Sinead glancing at him from time to time.

In the back of the van, Rampage whispered to Lady Venom, "There is something seriously wrong happening with the two in front."

"What do you mean?" she asked back, just as softly, under the loud discussions that were going on before them.

"Pain. Fear. Sadness." He paused. "Confusion rules over them all, but for Dinobot . . . he fears something that I cannot find within him."

"Can you get anything else?"

"No. That is why I am also confused, my Lady. Terribly so."

But all too soon they were home, Meara waving as she was set down more food on the picnic table for dinner. Rhinox stood behind her, holding two more plates of food. Everyone piled out, most of the Warriors returning to their original forms for a stretch. Dinobot looked up at the sky, heart pounding furiously, Spark shuddering erratically.

.o.V.o.

Inside the house, Sinead winced, pressing her hand to her chest, taking deep breaths. Starath looked at her in worry. "Sinead?"

"Something's really wrong," she gasped out, looking around for a window to see where Dinobot was.

"Are you all right?" Lady Venom asked, hands upon Sinead's shoulders, straightening her back so her breaths would be deeper. "Do you know what's going on?"

"No," Sinead replied, scared now. "It's not me. Something's really wrong . . . with Dinobot."

Starath looked out the window, seeing Rampage start moving towards the swimming hole. Even inside, they could hear his voice as he shifted back into his Transmetal form. "Hah! _No_body's going to touch my food tonight until I'm finished having with having my fun and washing off!"

.o.V.o.

_The door slammed shut, sending pain shooting through his head. Unexpectedly, the lights shut off, and Rampage's voice was heard through the now-locked door. "Believe me . . . he'll not touch you tonight until I am finished with my fun with you."_

Everything evened off with Dinobot, his breathing, his Spark, his mech-pump . . . his thoughts.

Purpose filled him.

.o.V.o.

Sinead gasped again, this time from the shock of everything disappearing.

Lady Venom blinked at her, completely disconcerted at the now-easy breathing of the younger author. "Shin . . . ?"

That was when the trio heard Dinobot's warcry.


	14. Berserker

Stolen Virtue  
by: Sinead

_**Author's Note:**__ Kudos to Lady Venom continue on though this chapter. Thank God that someone was finally able to help me untangle a thread to keep this story going. And more thanks to her for both Beta-reading this AND finding me more Evanescence songs, of which the title "Where Will You Go" was instrumental for keeping the tone of this chapter wistful, tentative, and above all, deep. shrugs And if you don't find it deep, that's all right. That's only my interpretation._

Chapter Fourteen: Berserker

.o.V.o.

Rampage had enough time to turn around, the question "What have you done to annoy him now, Vermin?" ready about to pop out of him, when he was slammed into by Dinobot. The sword first sliced open a neat gash in his upper left arm before opening a straight incision down his chestplate before Rampage could get himself to react. He batted Dinobot away and into a tree in two fluid movements. The wounds were nothing, and healed almost instantly. "What in the Inferno has gotten _into you_?"

Dinobot didn't answer, only charged again. Everyone was still in shock. Everyone, but for three figures running out from the house. Rampage distracted himself enough to notice that Lady Venom was among them, then returned his concentration to the bot charging at him, sword upraised, poised. Sidestepping, seeing the warrior mimic and continue, Rampage jumped straight up and over the Maximal, turning in midair to land in a crouch, the fingertips of his left hand resting lightly upon the ground. Dinobot's optics locked upon Rampage's, causing the Transmetal to use his empathy.

Hatred.

Pure, unbridled hatred.

"_You_ did this to me."

"I do not understand."

"Do not lie!" shrieked the broken warrior, not charging.

"I am not lying." Rampage was confused again. _What is this bot thinking? What did I do to him? I haven't._

"It was you. Do not lie to me. I know. It. Was. You."

The three authors were close, now. They stayed out of range, but were close enough to hear the conversation.

"Dinobot, I do not understand."

"You faked your own death. You staged it."

Rampage readied himself for another charge. The voice of Sinead's Bonded had deadened, losing all tone. Losing all emotion. He was going to attack . . . _now._

.o.V.o.

Sinead felt nothing from Dinobot. Everything had been walled up in his rage. She couldn't read his body language, other than he was going to kill. All she saw was malevolent intent.

He wasn't the bot she had somehow befriended.

This was the true Dinobot. The one that once had been locked up, bound arm and leg, almost killed . . .

_Raped._

She continued walking towards the fray, watching his movements. She knew his fighting style, or the "safe" version of it. The version that was used in practice, not as the methodology for preparing another for death. Dodging a swipe quickly, she held onto the inner part of his left elbow, opening her mouth to speak his name.

She never got the chance.

Too quickly, she was tossed without even a glance from him. Training took over, and she flipped her feet over her head to come earthwards not a moment too soon. The impact of her hitting the ground and sliding drew a grunt of concentration out of her as she maintained balance. The momentum from the throw sent her skidding towards the waterhole, and yet it mercifully ran out three feet from the edge. Sinead didn't know if she would have had the capacity to turn what would have been a crippling fall into a jump to clear the rock by the edge of the waterhole wall.

Looking up, she saw that Rhinox and Optimus were readying to hold him back, to restrain him. He wasn't going to like that, but it was inevitable.

How could she calm him down? How could she get him to listen to her? To come back to reason?

Call.

In the literal blink of her eye, she had fully and completely opened the bond between her soul and Dinobot's, calling to him through that. She started walking closer, watching to see if he'd falter. He didn't. She called harder, still silent.

Optimus dodged in to grip Dinobot's left arm fiercely, not about to let go. Sinead reached his right arm, gripping his wrist as hard as she could, some part of her mind registering that Rampage was on the verge of living his name out. He didn't understand what was going on in Dinobot's mind, and he was about to take action and ask questions later. Sinead didn't understand what was going on either, but she could imagine. She could _feel_ the darkness that held Dinobot's mind captive to his memories. A darkness that needed to be dealt with.

She had just gotten both hands around his wrist before he turned, disengaging Optimus' hold, gripping her wrists in one hand, literally flinging her _across_ the waterhole where she tumbled over the thankfully grassy clearing upon the other side. Unfortunately, two young saplings stopped her tumble, one snapping as her thigh hit it, the second holding strong. The point of contact between Sinead's back and the young tree was almost directly over one side of the scar from all those months ago.

.o.V.o.

_Come back to me!_

Snort. Parry. No! Get him off!

_Dinobot? Dinobot! Can't you hear me?_

He heard. The words meant nothing.

_Beloved, hear me._

No. Never beloved. Never would be beloved.

_Bonded, hear me!_

He was Bonded no more.

.o.V.o.

She groaned, nearly passing out with the renewed pain and the mental agony of hearing brief thoughts from Dinobot. The door from the Mainframe cabin slammed opened and shut, feet from that area pounding over dirt to her side. "Sinead?"

"No . . . don't touch me," she groaned out, looking up at the actor. "Get back inside."

"What-what's happening?" he asked, completely shocked at the sight upon the other side of the waterhole.

Sitting up, yelping at the pain blossoming upon her right thigh, she fought back tears. She moved her toes . . . good. It was just a bad bruise on her upper leg. It wasn't a broken femur. That would have broken Dinobot's heart if he had known that he would cause Sinead that much damage.

She moaned softly at another wave of pain. This time, however, she didn't push away the arms that wrapped around her firmly yet gently; a father's embrace. "Don't move. You don't know how serious you could be hurt."

"Scott, I have to reach him," was her reply as she accepted that last bit of comfort, using his shoulder to stand. "Get back inside. Don't come back out until this is over."

Scott shook his head, eyes worried and angry at the same time. "I can't do that."

"You_will_," Sinead hissed. "Because so help me, if you get hurt because of what's going on over there, I'd never forgive myself. Get back inside and stay there. Someone will come over when everything's done."

"But-"

"Do it!" Sinead roared, infuriated by now. She was in immense pain, but she knew what she was doing, and didn't need someone to cause her to doubt! One moment of indecision could end up with someone dead. "I know you mean well, but you _won't_ be doing anyone any good if you're hurt."

"But neither will you!"

"I know!" She snapped. Shaking her head, she sighed. "But some things are inevitable."

Turning away from him, she limped towards the bridge. He sighed, then called after her, "Everyone's going to kill me for letting you do this."

"Everyone isn't here," she retorted over her shoulder wearily.

"More people will be will be. Tomorrow."

"That's tomorrow. This is today." She winced, turning her face away so he wouldn't see it, and crossed the bridge.

.o.V.o.

_You hear me_.

No. I hear my own insanity.

_Do not lie to yourself. I love you._

You are foolish for doing so.

_Then I am foolish. Know who I am. I gave everything for you to live._

You wasted your time.

_I wasted nothing._

Keep them off. Keep them away. Stop the voice in the head.

_My Bonded, the other side of my coin, hear me._

No. No. No. No. No.

_He is not who you think he is. Nor are you._

No!

.o.V.o.

Dinobot was fighting anyone who even laid a finger upon him. All the humans were behind something that wouldn't likely budge. Depth Charge was watching both the berserker and Rampage, who was fuming, but not doing anything, now that he wasn't being attacked. His frame shielded Hacker from anything that could come towards them. Or anyone. Now wasn't the time for talking, but he had a lot of questions that needed answering. For instance, why did Dinobot snap like that? Why? And what does it have to do with Rampage? He hadn't heard very much of what had been said between the two, having been upon the other side of the cottage and gathering wood from the front of the house, but from what he could see, this went beyond _serious_.

"Depth Charge?"

"Stay back. I'll not let anything past me."

"Sinead . . ."

"She's moving; standing up. That Scott guy is arguing with her about something."

"She all right?"

"In pain, and not hiding it very well. She hit two trees after rolling."

Hacker held onto Depth Charge's leg, trembling. This was worse than she could have ever thought. This . . . this was . . .

This was something that defied description, but she knew the one word that would sum it all up.

War.

.o.V.o.

_I love you._

Get out of my head.

_I am not in your head, my love. We are Bonded. Married._

I . . . get out!

_I can't._

You are the one oppressing me! You are the one binding me! You are the one who tied me down while you laughed, reopening wounds! Speaking as if you cared!

_No. Helping you open yourself to life. Helping you break free of what would have indeed bound you for the remainder of your life. I cut the bonds upon you, that first day we met. I helped you heal gaping wounds, closing the painfully damaged skin. I do not just care . . . I love you unconditionally. I love you now, as you're fighting your own friends, comrades . . . your own family._

My family is dead.

_Not all families are defined as being blood-relatives. These are the people who accept you as who you are. That is was a family does._

Faltering, slowing, staring. Human. Blue eyes. Calm eyes. Peace? Peace. Love. You.

_Me. Yes, Dinobot. Remember me._

.o.V.o.

He slowed, staring over at Sinead, the Maximals fanning out around him, waiting for the next attack. Slowly, Dinobot's optics changed. They watched this human approach, limping, bleeding from her lip and scratches all along her arms and shoulders. Her breathing labored.

She reached up, one hand almost touching his chest, but paused.

Her eyes widened, and her breath caught.

Dinobot's optics were glittering rubies.

He spoke. "No."

"Sinead!" voices called out, just before she was thrown almost harder than before, slamming into the side of the cabin _Axalon_. She slid to the ground, already unconscious.

.o.V.o.

You're silent. What happened?

Where are you?

Answer me, voice of madness, of insanity . . .

Of . . . reason?

Of truth?

Of love.

Of_love_.

My_Bonded_.

Primus . . . what have I done?

.o.V.o.

Dinobot stared at the crumpled form of his . . . _his_ . . . no. _No! It wasn't supposed to happen like this!_

He turned, running right into Optimus, whose hands clasped firmly upon his shoulders, optics brimming with fury. Smaller hands, Rattrap's, took his sword from numb, limp fingers. He didn't bother fighting or even struggling against the bulkier bot as he stared back at his leader, knowing full well . . . that he . . . was responsible . . .

She lived.

Turning again, he saw Meara watching him. Her face said it all, and yet to put down what it held in words would discredit the sheer volume of emotion that radiated from her. Sapphire was beside Sinead, already preforming first aid . . . what his job should have been.

Pain!

Grunting, he fell to a knee, looking up in confusion at Lady Venom as he gasped for air. Her voice was barely more than a choked whisper. "_You bastard_."

He looked away from her, unable to speak.

How does one speak after doing what he had just done?

How can someone move on after that?

.o.V.o.

_Where are you?_

Sometime the next day, Dinobot shot awake in his cabin. He was under guard, and wouldn't be let out of sight for quite a while. "Sinead?"

_You did quite a number on me, you jackass._

Yeah. That was Sinead. The feeling of her was prominent within his soul, but the "words" were jumbled and took a little sorting and interpretation to get into what resembled a fluid thought. He sighed. They were pictures, not real words. They were feelings and emotions.

"Forgive me."

_I do, but they're not letting me near you. Rather, they're not letting me even sit up. I didn't even know that we could communicate like this . . . did you_?

"Not until now." He sighed, hands running through messy, tangled hair. Memories flooded his inner eye, reliving the mindless bloodlust. "I'm so sorry."

"You're talkin' ta yourself, Choppuhface."

Dinobot looked up to Rattrap. "No, I am not. Sinead is awake. She is hearing my words."

"Spark-communication?" Rattrap scoffed. "Not likely in _your_ case. You'd have to listen ta someone else tellin' ya dat you're wrong. An' o' course, ya can't have that, now can ya?" He leaned against the doorjamb. "'Sides. She's not gonna be up for a while more, no thanks ta dat last throw. Rhinox predicts another day."

_Cocky little . . . Silverbolt's on his way. I want to see you._

Rattrap was about to say something more when he was near-brained by Silverbolt's wing. "Dinobot, I am to escort you to Sinead's side. Come with me."

"Woah, woah, here!" Rattrap yelled. "On who's orders?!"

"The lady's herself. She is awake, and wants to speak with Dinobot." He glared at Rattrap. "Alone. No bugs."

"Slaggit . . ." He swore quietly to himself, then sighed. "Man, I _hate_ it when she over-rides me like dat, the cocky fleshling . . ."

.o.V.o.

Dinobot entered the building, feeling the glares of those who were to wait outside on his back. The darkness within the rooms stifled his senses for the briefest of moments after he closed the door. Then he saw her.

Sinead watched him stumble towards her, falling to his knees beside the thickly-padded cot she lay upon. One eye was blackened, her lower lip split, but no longer bleeding,the blood was caked and dried. It seemed to be still flaking off slightly, so Dinobot brushed at it gently, hating how she looked, how she was injured by _his_ hand. Sinead reached up to rest her hand upon his mouth, stopping his speech. Her voice was raspy, tired. "No. No apologies. I want to know what happened in your mind yesterday." It appeared as though even that small amount of words hurt her, draining her of precious energy that she needed.

Dinobot pushed her hand to one side, holding it within his own. "No, Sinead. I have to." He shuddered, sighing though it. "I should_have_recognized you, and I apologize for . . . for hurting you. I'm sorry."

Sinead shifted slightly, trying to ease the pain in her back, then stared at him. "It's all right." Smiling, she repeated it in Japanese. "_Daijoubu. Hontou ni. _I love you. Now speak with me what you've been holding to yourself."

"How can I?" he replied, voice weary. "How can I, when I hurt you? You are taking every one of my burdens upon your own shoulders, and _look_ where it has gotten you . . . us." His eyes seemed to hold a conflict between self hatred and plain, sheer misery that he was_determined_ to not let his Bonded see. But he knew she would see it anyway. She always knew his emotions. She always knew what he was hurting from, and where to put the proverbial salve of her love for him.

"To a point where we have to do what we should have been doing a while back," came the soft voice from the young woman.

Dinobot slumped, then shifted to rest his arms around Sinead's shoulders, pressing his face lightly into her shoulder, holding her carefully. Sighing, the author curled towards him as best as she could, relaxing and falling asleep within his arms almost instantly. Dinobot held onto her, wondering what in the Pit he could have done to deserve her.

And he came up empty-handed.


	15. Salvaging What’s Left

Stolen Virtue  
By: Sinead

_**Author's Note:**__ Hit Depth Charge inspiration, even though I'm supposed to be writing a Rampage romance for the talented and rather gracious Lady Venom . . . kinda odd, since I've already written the Depth Charge song-fic for my Reflections of Life Chronology (shameless self-promotion, I know, I know . . . but that's been my claim to fame!!!) SO!!! Here's the next part of Stolen Virtue, thank you to all who allow me to write their characters within it, and a special thanks to Zucca for allowing me to use him in this story._

_**Edit January 13, 2008:**__ Disregard all the above save for that bit about Zucca. He's a wonderful guy to be writing about, and I'm very thankful that he's allowed me to write his human persona into this story. Thanks, wolfen!_

Chapter Fifteen: Salvaging What's Left

.o.V.o.

Scott heard the car arrive, and shot out of the house, seeing Rhinox and Silverbolt guarding "his" side of the waterhole covertly in their human modes, doing "leisure" activities. A human Blackarachnia was walking over the bridge that connected the two sides. She leaned over the book that Silverbolt was reading, then sat beside him, knowing that if she "distracted" him, they would _both_ be put on punishment.

Man, using quotations for stressed words was a lot of mental work.

The cab stopped and the moment the young man stepped out, he blew a breath of air out. "Wow, it's almost more humid than home."

"Not like Vancouver either, I'll agree," Scott said, walking closer, feeling Rhinox watching him from where he was "fishing." Getting used to the scrutiny, Scott helped the newcomer pull out his bags from the trunk before watching as the cabby left. After setting them in the bedroom that had been set up and freshened and aired out two days before the . . . Before Dinobot lost himself in his rage and pain. Scott rubbed at his face then said, "There's a lotta things going on that you're not gonna like."

"I've been fired from doing that writing for the script, haven't I."

"No, nothing like that."

"Then what?"

Swallowing, deciding that it would be easier for him to just see for himself, Scott beckoned for the newbie scriptwriter to follow him. Coming up behind the large African-American man, he said, "He's able to be trusted. Sinead knows him."

"Sinead's here?!"

Rhinox blinked up at the young man, then sighed, pulling the line up the three feet it had been dangling over the edge. "You know _he's_ not gonna be happy, Scott."

"I warned him."

"That doesn't mean that he's listened."

Before standing, Rhinox looked the "kid" over, his experienced eye not missing a thing. Then, with a sigh, he rose to his feet, towering over the pair. "Well, can't be helped, then can it?"

They crossed the bridge and when they were just three feet upon the other side, Depth Charge ran out in full Transmetal glory to slam into Rampage, who had been just leaving the forest from a walk-and-talk with Lady Venom, sending both Cybertronians tumbling aft-over-head into the waterhole. Scott and Rhinox turned to look at the new Canadian. Eyes were wide, mouth was set in disbelief, and she blinked at Scott. "I've a feeling that I'm not going to like this."

.o.V.o.

Rhinox looked in on the slumbering Sinead. Dinobot was in his beast mode, head resting upon the bed beside his Bonded, her hand resting between eye-ridges. Vertically-slitted eyes opened slowly at the change in light. The large faux-human shook his head, holding a brown hand up to show that he was only checking in on them before walking back out. Entering the sunlight again, he scratched at the back of his neck, saying, "She's out. I'm shocked that she was awake for as long as she had been, yesterday."

"Has she woken up at all today?" Scott asked, worried. "I saw how . . ." Swallowing, he gestured a little with his right hand in a forward motion.

"Yes, to eat and drink something."

"What's going on? What happened to who?"

Both looked at the newcomer. And sighed. Rhinox looked up at the addition, seeing Meara working upon getting the drywall into place over the insulation with Cheetor and Optimus. She had fully stepped into helping build the addition, owing it up to being a "carpenter's daughter." That being said, Rhinox completely understood how Sinead had been a natural with working with wood.

Meara leaned out the still-unfinished window, asking, "Who's that?"

"Zucca," the Californian replied.

She blinked at him, giving Rhinox a _look_: the kind that all mothers intuitively seemed to know. He held large hands up. "He was entitled to a time-share at the Mainframe cabin to begin work upon the some new project in relative peace and quiet._I_ didn't know anything about it. Not until yesterday, same as you. And I figured that after what happened yesterday, and the fact that he knows your daughter, it would be wiser to just get the introductions over with."

"Think that he'll adjust well enough to life around here?"

All three landed their gazes upon the hapless Zucca, who spread his hands and grinned a little as if to say that he was only the messenger. Scott nodded. "If he's crazy enough to understand _me_, then I don't see why she shouldn't be able to adapt to being around here."

Rhinox shifted to his robot mode, chuckling and waving over to Silverbolt, calling, "It's good!"

Meara walked down to stand in front of Zucca, watching his face for a long moment, then nodded to Scott, who wisely smiled and shoved his hands into his pockets, yelling, "Hey! Ratbreath! I know you're out here somewhere!"

The mother walked into the cabin, the young woman hot upon her heels. Dinobot looked at them just as he had Rhinox, carefully moving Sinead's hand off of his head before standing and transforming, staring at Zucca coldly, not saying a word. Meara walked up to him as he was looking the Californian man over for a threat and pushed at his large, striped arm, causing the Maximal to move aside easily and shift his gaze to look down at the mother of his Bonded.

Yawning, Sinead moved her hand, the one that had been upon Dinobot's head, and then opened her eyes when she didn't feel scales beneath it. Meara smiled at her softly. "Someone's come to visit."

"Ugh . . . tell Scott to scoot. I'm too tired to listen to his banter." Her voice was cracked and dry, tired.

"No, not Scott," the newcomer replied softly, his baritone gone bass with worry.

Having heard that voice, Sinead moved her head slightly to look at him. "Zucca." She tried to smile cheerfully as she said, "Welcome to what's become BWINT's second home."

"What happened to you?"

"A bad training lesson."

"Don't lie for my sake," Dinobot snarled quietly, gaze dark and troubled.

Zucca had jumped at the sound of the voice, then looked between them. Meara left the room. "I'm making tea, 'Nead. You stay put. Dinobot, sit by her."

Knowing an order when he heard one, Dinobot turned human to sit on the bed beside Sinead. Her hand rested upon his, curling stiff fingers around his calloused ones. He sighed, and Sinead smiled ironically. "C'mon, sit over here. Dinobot's not gonna bite you. Neither am I." She blinked, and attempted a weak joke. "But I _may_ take that back if you start to get all noble on me. The position of knight in shining armor has one slot here, and Silverbolt fills it out fairly well."

Shaking her head, still shocked at seeing the poor condition Sinead was in, Zucca sat upon the open low stool, watching the duo before him. "I wouldn't. Now tell me what's been going on."

Dinobot looked to Sinead, and both sighed. Sinead started. "All right, it starts like this: Somehow, nine of us BWINT authors were sent back to the Beast Wars, just post-Quantum surge. We were there for almost two weeks before we saw any signs of civilization. When we _did_, though, we almost wish that we didn't."

.o.V.o.

Almost an hour later, Rattrap blinked at Scott. They had been arguing for play for that long. "So dat chick's in dere with da two o' dem?"

"Yep."

"Without supervision or someone guarding dem?"

"Not entirely. Meara's there."

"Oh. Phew."

The door slapped open against the sidings, and Zucca shot out of the interior, chased by Dinobot for about three feet. The Transformer snarled after him, "And if I slagging catch you getting her to think of any male other than me, I'll slagging roast you _alive_! So stop the slagging flirting!" Dinobot finished his statement with a 'near miss' shot of his eye lasers to prove the threat. Zucca stared down at the smoking holes next to her left leg with more than a little trepidation. That wasn't how he had planned it. But now he knew something that he hadn't known before: He didn't know he could move that fast when scared for his life.

Hacker blinked sleepily over the back of her chair at the commotion, and all who were watching saw how the ex-Predacon stormed back into the house. Silence was absolute, but breathless laughter was heard from the room that Sinead was recuperating in. Smirking, lethargy forgotten, Hacker ran over to ruffle Zucca's hair, crouching beside the panting young man with a grin. "Hey, welcome, stranger!"

"Before I decide to gabber about how great it is to see you . . . will I be killed by Depth Charge if he thinks that I'm flirting?"

"Of course!" called the Transmetal, starting to pull himself out of the waterhole. "Because I know she's mine and nobody is allowed to even begin to start with her unless he wishes to challenge me!"

Rampage's hand gripped the side of Depth Charge's wing, and dragged him back into the waterhole. A profusion of Cybertronian curses were heard echoing back up at them.

Trying to laugh off the tone of voice that Depth Charge was using, Zucca stood and brushed off the seat of his pants, glancing towards the waterhole nervously every so often at loud noises. "So why'd Dinobot nearly rip my face off?"

"Did dey explain to you why she's so beat up?" Rattrap asked in a near-monotone.

"They were about to."

"And you changed the subject with Sinead."

"Yeah . . . that set Dinobot off."

"The reason _why_ it 'set him off' is in _that_ part of the telling," Hacker explained. "Go apologize."

Walking towards the door after sighing and accepting that Hacker was right, he looked up to see Dinobot standing there, glaring at him. Zucca swallowed. "No more flirting with danger, I swear."

He was glared at for a moment further by Cybertronian optics, then had to adjust his line-of-sight to accommodate a human glare from a very angry Dinobot. "Fine. And no more interruptions until we're through."

"I swear."

Nodding with his head towards the room, Dinobot stalked back in. Zucca followed him meekly.

.o.V.o.

Rubbing at her face, she looked from an extremely-dispirited young man to the yawning Sinead. She shook her head. "But . . . how can . . ." Rethinking his question, Zucca started over again. "Wait, wrong thing to ask. How could you _not_ have known that it was a different Rampage, if you're able to detect that flux in the energy signatures?"

"We do not have the same scanners we had back in the Wars," Dinobot mumbled.

"What?! That's unacceptable!" Zucca stood, anger rolling off of every movement. "And for bloody _crying out loud_, Dinobot, _how_ could you _not_ have _known_ the woman you share your _frickin' soul with_?!"

Wincing further, Dinobot looked away. He didn't have an answer to that one.

"Answer me, snow-blower!"

"I have no answer," he responded with a carefully tone-less voice.

"Find one!" was the roared response. "'Cause I ain't leaving _her_ alone with you until _you prove_ to me that there's reason behind it!"

"There_is_ no reason behind it."

Sinead watched this all unfold, knowing that there had to be at least four Cybertronians watching or listening in on every movement and word. She didn't have the energy to do anything other than watch and listen. And she knew, deep down, that her Dinobot had to find answers. She also knew that Zucca would be instrumental in helping get those answers. He had a fresh view upon the situation, and had a bit of a temper when someone crossed him or hurt his friends. At the same time, Dinobot's mind worked the best when in battle, whether it be physical or within the boundaries of an argument.

"Then prove it! Otherwise you're _useless_ to Sinead. I've known her for well over five years, and you've only known her for a few months! I know how she _is_! And I know that she _can't_ and _will not_ truly love someone who _isn't_ honest with himself!" Snorting, Zucca thought it wise to not say anything about how he and Sinead had been slightly closer than mere friends at a point in time not too long before.

Dinobot snapped, "Rampage is Rampage _is Rampage_! I can_not_ get over that! There is no other reason for my fear other than him! There is no other reason as to why I _can't_ break that fear, other than he is _here_, day after day!" Catching a ragged breath, he added, "I cannot face that fear; I cannot control it. And proof of that is in how I could not control myself and my reactions."

Zucca was, in a word, pissed. He'd _always_ leap to the opportunity to chew out anyone who had hurt Sinead, Sapphire, Hacker, Nurann, Starath . . . he didn't know Lady Venom or Miss Special enough, but had the suspicion that he'd stick up for those two as well, if push came to shove. They were his friends, and he'd always do his best to protect them, regardless of who the offender was. Regardless of conditions, he'd be giving the royal treatment to whoever had hurt those whom he cared for, just like he was giving Dinobot. Before he could say anything, a new voice cut in.

"So you admit you can't control it, huh?"

All three looked to see Lady Venom leaning against the door. She shook her head. "Don't worry, Dinobot, he's still occupied in his brawl with Depth Charge in the waterhole." Her eyes gazed up at him, and she said in a whisper, "The depression won't let you go."

Eyes only very slightly wider than usual, Dinobot shook his head. "No. How . . . ?"

"You think you're the only one who's been through depression? I have. A few others whom we both know have. I'm not at liberty to release who they are, but you could have asked for help."

"No, I could _not_ have. You don't understand–"

"What you're going through? Try again." Lady Venom walked closer, staring up into Dinobot's face. "We're not stupid, and we're_not_ morons. Here's something that I bet many people don't know: depression has many faces, and no two are alike."

"Fear also can lead to depression," Sinead whispered in the silence that followed. "Fear of anything, be it love, strong emotions, truth . . ."

Dinobot couldn't look at her eyes, and dropped his gaze. Sinead didn't reach out for him. She was too tired, too weak. Sighing, she turned upon her side, facing the wall to get her weight off of her back. "No more arguing for today, please."

Omie took up watch on a stool upon the other side of the room, keeping to her vow of not leaving until she had answers. Meara stood at the doorway. "Tea, anyone?"

"Please," Sinead replied through a yawn.

"Me as well, please. If you don't mind," the newly-arrived author and young script-writer added.

"How many sugars in that?"

Sinead groaned, causing Zucca to laugh and reply, "I'll try it how Sinead likes hers."

"What's with her wordless-yet-so-elegant comment upon the tea?" Lady Venom asked, reaching down to pick up a strand of Sinead's hair and braid it. She saw Dinobot stiffen, watching her warily, and knew she was getting away with murder. Smirking inwardly, she continued playing with the younger authoress' hair.

"Have you heard about how much I love Earl Grey?"

"Good thing that we have it."

"Aptly put," Sinead mumbled, starting to fall back asleep. She felt the blankets pulled closer up around her neck, and opened one eye sleepily to see Dinobot's human face lean in closer to kiss her forehead. That was the last she remembered of that day.

.o.V.o.

"Anything yet?"

Miss Special shook her head, looking up at Inferno. He patted her shoulder, and nodded his head away from the cabin. She followed him as he turned into a dark-tanned-face, red-haired man, his bright-amber-almost-orange eyes watching hers when they were alone within the woods. "Who is that new human?"

"Zucca. A friend from California."

"McNeil obviously trusts him."

"So does Meara."

They were silent for a long moment. "What of Sinead?"

"She trusts him."

"And Dinobot?"

"I dunno about him, but . . ." the Californian paused. "You know, that's an interesting question. I have no idea how Dinobot would trust Zucca, not since he snapped. Before then, he'd tolerate him simply because of Sinead's trust, however . . ."

They came upon Sapphire and Rattrap, and the four silently regarded each other, silently able to tell how things were going. Miss Special and Inferno only sat beside the other two only after a subtle invitation. Another few moments of peace passed between them until Sapphire asked, "She's all right?"

"Sleeping, last I could tell."

"Someone came," Rattrap said quietly. "Scott told us dat he was a 'risin' star' in da screenplay world. Got a huge part as his first story to interpret onto da screen."

Miss Special nodded. "I saw him."

"We know him?" Sapphire queried, brown eyes flicking across Miss Special's face.

"Zucca. Wait! Don't go yet. Scott brought him directly to Sinead. I figure that he knew what he was doing, since you know that _all_ of us would have just ran circles around Zucca to prevent him from knowing what's just happened." Sighing, rubbing at her face and eyes, the dual artist and author continued. "So she's deep in conversation with Sinead and Dinobot right now."

"How would she react to knowing the truth?" Inferno asked softly, a small frown set upon his forehead.

"Angrily," Sapphire replied.

.o.V.o.

Dinobot waited until Sinead was deep asleep before whispering, "I cannot stay with her. Not if I'm going to endanger her again."

"Dinobot, you can't afford to separate your Spark from her soul," Lady Venom replied just as quietly. "You'd die."

"Maybe I was meant to."

"Don't say that," Zucca snarled, still quite furious. "And _who_ do you think you _are_? Do you think I was listening only to the words you and Sinead were saying? Don't play me as dumb, you fossil. Sinead's saved your life. _This_ is how you want to repay her? By running off? By acting as a _coward_ and–"

"_Never_ call me a coward!"

"Then what are you, if you can't face that which worries you the most?!"

"Rampage–"

Zucca snorted, then hissed angrily, "This isn't about Rampage anymore. This is about _your wife_."

Dinobot fell silent, a baleful glare aimed at Omicron.

"Yeah, you fear that if you let her too close, she'll see something she doesn't like."

"I do not–"

"He's right," Meara cut in, her voice pitched perfectly so as to cut in without argument. She handed the tea out, even to Dinobot. "I saw that from the beginning, but, being a mother of three and knowing that the best way that someone can learn something is by their own mistakes and trial and error, I knew that until you and she either discussed it or something happened to shake one of you up so badly that it _had_ to be brought up, I couldn't say anything."

"I do not fear what she may or may not find," Dinobot growled quietly, his gaze showing his wariness.

"Can you talk with her soul-to-soul?" asked the Canadian, her eyes cold.

"Yes."

"Not easily, I can bet. Almost using more pictures as concepts and nothing else, huh?"

"Correct," he hissed, not understanding, but hating that she was hitting the nail right on the head.

"You cannot hear her soul-voice. You do not hear her soul day and night. You still feel lonely and depressed. There is no hope for you, you feel."

With each sentence, his face grew more and more incredulous, then frightened.

"How do I know this, you're asking?"

Dinobot could only nod.

"Because Rampage was the same as you. He couldn't trust himself with me. He didn't _dare_ trust himself with me, lest something happen. So . . . he didn't proceed with the _full_ Bonding. He only brought it to the engagement-Bonding, if you would, not to the marriage-Bonding. That way we could pull apart if need be, and find other people who would complete us, who we were." Brushing her hand through her hair, Lady Venom sighed. "So you didn't know."

Sighing, he pressed his hands again his face, then shook his head, standing to leave.

"Hey, where are _you_ off to?" Zucca asked, voice toned to be scathingly blade-edged.

"Somewhere that I'm not going to have you screaming in my ear that I was wrong. I don't need your help in verifying that. I never did." He left before anyone could say anything more.

"Great, Zucca," Lady Venom said under her breath.

"Look, it's a better thing that he left, all right?"

"So you just wanted him gone, huh?"

Fighting for patience, the young man replied, "It's better that he went off to think on his own than slamming his fist in my face _then_ going out to think. He knew I'm not going to leave Sinead's side. He knows that if she needs him, I'd be the first one to go out and find him. So do us all a favor and _don't_ make assumptions that'll get me killed, okay?"

He leaned back in his chair, arms folded across his chest, and proceeded to settle himself in for a nap. Lady Venom stared at the man for a moment longer, then stormed outside, careful not to slam and doors behind her or make a noise until she reached the half-finished cabin that Rampage was working on for them, and released a scream of pure frustration into his balled-up shirt.

The shirtless, human-moded Predacon stopped hammering the plywood for the outer wall, blinked at her, then asked, "Might there be a problem, Lady?"

Waiting until she could speak coherently, Lady Venom snapped, "Only if you're human."


	16. Grappling With Truths

Stolen Virtue  
By: Sinead

_**Author's Note:**__ Lady V, Hacker, Sapphire, Starath, thank you so much for it all! This story has been something that is beginning to fulfill my hopes and dreams, thanks to your pushing and prodding me, whether you knew it or not. Great thanks also goes out to those whom I met at Botcon, both at 2006 and 2007, who have been bugging me about writing ANYTHING again. And Hacker, who's been nothing but a help and a great sounding-board about everything that has been getting me worried over going to Botcon 2006 and with other such issues. I'm truly thankful for her, a true twin-in-spirit._

_Also, I would suggest that you find the songs "Mi Morena" or "You Are Loved" by Josh Groban to listen to while reading this. "You Are Loved" sums the entire Stolen Virtue story up, while "Mi Morena" has the tone of this chapter._

Chapter Sixteen: Grappling With Truths

.o.V.o.

"Problem," Rampage said warily, laying his hammer down and walking over to his Bonded, taking his shirt from her to swipe at sweat beading upon his brow. To make something as delicate as a human structure meant that to make it, one had to be human. Otherwise, he would knock it over, inadvertently shove his fist through a wall, collapse the floor beneath himself, or something of the like. He reiterated. "Problem indeed." Tipping her chin up, he blinked at her, dangerous dark eyes softening around the edges only very minutely. His job as a bouncer at a biker's club was a good one. "I _am_ human, sometimes."

"But you're not _always_ human. And you don't know what _natural_ human behavior was, even _if_ it ripped your guts out!"

Leading her into the shade where he had iced water bottles sweating in the humidity, Rampage sighed. "You're becoming too much like me. I was hoping to become even a little like _you_. That was the promise. You would teach me kindness, gentleness, patience, self-control . . . I would teach you how to just be, just live in the moment. You're not allowed to become what I once was: a sociopath."

"But it's not that simple."

"I know."

Slugging water, Lady Venom sighed, letting her head hang a little, wiping irritably at the sweat gathering under her jaw. "Look. Dinobot's becoming more and more depressed. He's not made the full Bonding."

"What?!"

At the tone of his voice, the Lady looked up at his face, seeing horror there. "What is it?"

"He . . . he can still die, if he doesn't Bond with her soon."

Lady Venom stared at Rampage, unable to speak.

He answered her unasked question. "Because the engagement-Bonding is the type caused when one of the Cybertronians are injured and needs help surviving. If it is not brought to the marriage level, it . . . corrodes . . . it begins to wear apart at the seams, and if not upgraded into the marriage-Bonding within a certain time, both could die if they are not strong enough to support themselves upon their own."

"Dinobot . . . he can't support his own life," Lady Venom whispered.

"No."

A florid swear colored the environment around them.

The two stared at each other in horror for a brief moment longer before running back to the main house. Rampage went to find Optimus, Lady Venom to find Meara and Rhinox. They brought all three together away from the groups, only to have their worst suspicions confirmed by the technician. Now all that remained was to convince Dinobot. And with what Sinead had said about the _first_ time she had to convince Dinobot to initiate Bonding . . . then they were in for a lot of negotiation.

Because unlike last time . . . _this_ time, Dinobot really wanted to die.

.o.V.o.

"Sinead?"

"Go 'way," she muttered in a stream of mild cusses. Her head hurt, her back hurt and she wasn't sleeping well. She was thoroughly irritated.

"Please, you need to hear this."

"Unless it's about how either me or Dinobot have horrible, looming, painful deaths that we have no knowing of, leave me alone."

At the silence, Sinead looked up to see Lady Venom staring at her, and nodded. "Yeah. It's about that. You have to go into a full marriage-Bonding, or you'll probably both die. Painfully. The engagement-Bond only lasts for so long, and if you don't take the next step _soon_ . . . one or both of you could die. It'll decay, poisoning both of you, and then there'll be nobody to save either of you."

"I can't initiate Bonding. Dinobot has to," Sinead whispered, sitting up stiffly, grimacing from time to time as wounds stretched.

"I know," Lady Venom whispered. "But . . ."

"He's not sure if he wants to continue living."

"Yeah. Exactly."

Sighing, Sinead let her head rest in her hands, then sent a "call" out for Dinobot. "Zucca, wake up."

With a snort and a start, the formerly-dozing writer looked around himself. "Yeah?"

"I need everyone out of this room. Seems like I'm doomed for an argument anyway."

"Dinobot said–"

"Out, now," Sinead insisted, exhaustion and fatigue making her sharp. "Dinobot will be here in a moment, and it's not gonna be the best day of either of our lives. Scram."

"Or it could well be–"

"Lady Venom, please, not now."

"Oh, sure. But you know what everyone loves about the wedding the most."

"The wedding _night_. I'm well aware of that fact. Skootch yerself outta me room."

Laughing, the authoress made herself an example, showing Zucca that he should listen to Sinead like the eldest of the three had. The young man sighed deeply, nodding and standing to leave. "But I'll be outside the door if you need me."

"She won't," Dinobot's human voice replied tiredly from the doorway. "I can assure you, she won't. The door you were referencing had_better_ bee the front door. Get out. Now. Before I choose to assist you."

Zucca beat a hasty retreat. Sinead stood painfully and closed the door after Dinobot entered, then leaned upon it, catching her balance and gathering her strength. Dinobot's hand carefully took her elbow, helping her sit again, and she whispered, "We need to start over."

"What? With what?"

"With everything," Sinead whispered.

"How?" he asked, shaking his head. "We know each other too well–"

"Not well enough," came the interruption from the young woman. Her eyes sought out his, caught, and held his attention. "You never said that the Bond could deteriorate."

Dinobot looked away, shamed, but angry. "Who told you."

"I'm not telling. Why didn't _you_ tell_me_? I thought . . . well, I _know_ that I love you. I just thought that we trusted each other enough by now. Tell me. Why didn't you say that the engagement had a date that it had to be consummated by?" She grimaced. "And by 'consummated,' I mean that in a loose form of the term, meaning the full Bond, the marriage-bond."

Still unable to look at her, Dinobot stalked to the window, looking out and into the woods, a ten-yard distance of scraggly grass between the cottage and the line of trees. "I wanted to be strong enough to support myself. To be able to live when time ran out."

"What about me," Sinead asked, voice deadened. "Was it all a sham? This entire fiasco has been about _you_. About healing you in body, mind and soul. How do I fit in with your grand schemes, huh?" Bitterness rode her words as thunder rides the winds before a fierce storm.

Whirling to face her, the man replied, "_You_ are the center of why I am able to stand. _You_ always have been the center of my balance, delicate though it may be. Do _not_ assume that you are _nothing_."

"Then why are you only thinking about yourself?"

"I am not!"

"Then what _would_ happen to me if you _were_ strong enough to live on your own when the Bond would become_nothing_?!"

"I would love you."

She was silent, trying to calm herself. Angry tears were beading up, blurring her vision.

"I would court you as it should have been. It was a forced decision, a loaded situation that would not allow for any other option. I did not . . . want and I didn't like our actions and decisions having been made _for_ us."

Sinead threw a hefty punch at his arm, and it connected solidly, knocking Dinobot a few steps backwards, shocked. She was _never_ one for angry violence. Never one to hit except lightly, a playful tap to show that she both cared for him _and_ understood that his pride didn't allow for the casual touches lovers almost always exchanged.

Never before had she hit in anger.

"You_dare_ think I had _no_ choice?!" Sinead panted, dark blue eyes darker. She wavered, but didn't fall. "I _chose_ because I _love_ you. I could have let you _die_ by not doing _anything_, but _I decided_ to put _my own fate_ before me, and _choose_ to _love you_. And this is how you think it should be between us, huh?"

"Sinead . . ."

Silence fell, and Dinobot finally saw the tears streaming down her face. Helplessly, he held his hand out to her, resisting the urge to drop it, and whispered, "I ask that you forgive me. I ask that you help me learn not to repeat the same mistakes."

Watching his hand, the still-young woman shifted carefully, not wanting to lose the precious balance she had for only a few moments. "Ritual."

"Yes," Dinobot whispered, his human voice soft, choked. "Between a husband and wife. I'm sorry. I . . . I didn't know that you did not feel the same way as I did. I never thought to ask you. I never thought that there was a fault in my reasoning."

Hesitantly, Sinead reached out, and her fingertips stopped an inch from his. "No more keeping secrets from me?"

"Never again. I didn't know how much it was hurting . . . _us_."

"No lying?"

"I never lied to you."

"But in the future, no omitting _any_ truth?"

"Never again."

Her hand rested in his, and he felt it trembling. Moving closer to her swiftly, he supported her before she could fall, arms wrapped around her waist in an embrace, careful of her injured back. Dinobot's black hair was almost all pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck, but strands fell forward onto Sinead's cheeks and chin as he held her just that much tighter, hiding his face against her cheek.

Instantly, Sinead kissed Dinobot's cheek, whispering, "I'm so sorry I hit you. I . . . I'll never do that again, I–"

"You brought me to my senses," he interrupted, his voice thick. He barked a hoarse laugh. "We're a mess."

"Stay with me," Sinead whispered tightly.

"Always."

"But . . . I want to go back to our cottage."

"Where we'll be alone?"

"Very alone."

Dinobot loosened his hold upon Sinead just enough so that he could shift forms, settling his metal weight easily as soon as he was no longer human. Sinead reached up with her left hand for his face, wiping that last bit of moisture away, causing him to smile and lift her to rest in his arms securely. Sinead closed her eyes, resting her head against his right shoulder, sniffling once, wiping the last of her tears away.

"Sinead . . ."

"Mm?"

"I don't think I want to leave the room."

"Because you think the others will be cheering as we're getting to our Valhalla?"

"I believe that I _know_ so."

Sinead sighed. "They want this resolved between us. They'll stay out of our way, and won't interfere."

"Are you sure?"

"We've agreed not to lie to each other."

Rubbing his jaw very, very lightly against Sinead's forehead, Dinobot nodded before cradling her a bit more carefully with his right arm, reaching for the doorknob and twisting it slowly.

.o.V.o.

"Look."

Megatron tore his gaze away from Starath, then crouched closer to her side, resting his arm around her waist. They watched in silence as Dinobot left the main cabin and walked smoothly, carefully towards the pathway he had created to his and Sinead's cabin. Once they were hidden within the trees' shadows in the dark twilight, Megatron whispered, "So he's finally come to terms."

"What do you mean?" Starath asked, turning to face him, knowing that everyone had been posted along the path towards the cabin Valhalla, wanting to know if the issue was to be settled tonight, or later on.

"He knew that he couldn't live without the full Bonding. And yet, he tried." Sighing, the humanized Predacon overlord rubbed at his eyes. "It isn't easy, seeing him acting like he is."

"Because of that thing how you two had pretty much been siblings?"

"Yes. We were brothers, in my universe."

"So you really care for his welfare."

"Without a doubt. Just as I care for _yours_, Starath."

"Oh, please. That's only because we're married," she teased, grinning.

The smile upon the Predacon's face was tender, rare, and for Starath's gaze only. "No. It is because I love you and need you to complete the 'true me' that I have finally become."

Blushing, the authoress pressed herself against the love of her life, unable to say anything coherent for a moment. She never was able to speak when he expressed his emotions about her. Somehow, she never felt that she had the right verbiage at hand. It was something that she had trouble with.

"I hope that you–"

"I love you too. Now shut up and lemme get this blush to go away."

A deep chuckle vibrated within his chest, causing Starath to smile shyly, looking up at him. She kissed his chin, whispering, "You're it," and was off like a shot, the shocked Megatron scrambling to his feet and giving chase, roaring a laugh at her always-unpredictable behavior. Within minutes, all but Rhinox and Meara were chasing each other in the strangest game of tag anyone could even _begin_ to describe. Another few moments passed, and Scott joined Meara and Rhinox, each silently watching the "young 'uns" enjoy the life they were living, celebrating in their own way that a nightmare was soon to pass . . . for good.

.o.V.o.

Rattrap pulled Sapphire away from the game for a moment, his golden hazel eyes urgent, but kind. They hid in the shadows behind the cabin_Darksyde_. "He's goin' t' try to get 'imself married t'night."

"Is he really?" Sapphire asked, leaning in closer, face lighting up. "Oh, finally."

"You an' Sinead 're close . . ."

Nodding, Sapphire understood that Rattrap wanted to know what Sinead had been feeling upon the matter. "She was worried for a long time, after finding out that she and Dinobot were the only ones who _hadn't_ gone for the full Bond. She was worried that when he lost it those days ago, that it was the beginning of the end for them. And she loves him too much to let him go."

"Usually . . . wouldn't dat kinda person love da other so much dat dey'd_let_ dem go?"

"No. Not Sinead. She could never give Dinobot up, not after winning him over in the first place."

Chuckling, the human Rattrap kissed Sapphire's nose softly. "An' what of you an' me?"

"I'm the same. There never really was room for anyone else _but_ you in my heart."

"Good," he said through a grin, holding Sapphire softly for a moment longer, sighing into her hair. "Because after meetin' _you_ . . . I'd never let anyone else try t' take dat place in my Spark that you've claimed." He smirked, teasing her, now. "For a_human_ . . . ya ain't dat bad."

Sapphire shoved him, then chased after her Bonded back into the "tag" fray.

.o.V.o.

An hour later, Nurannoniel tackled her human Optimus with a hug, pressing her cheek against his side. "Hey, you. What're you brooding about?"

"The same thing that _everyone_ is," Optimus admitted, pulling the young woman completely to his side with a smile, keeping his arm around her shouldes. "But I know that it's out of our control."

"That's right."

"What do you wish to speak about?"

"Us."

"Oh? How so?" he asked gently, his human voice the same as his Cybertronian one, unlike the "toned-down" versions of the majority of the other Maximals and Predacons.

"What will we do when I have to go back to school in another two weeks?"

"I could come with you . . . but I know that you have separated dorms."

"Yeah." She sighed, trying not to cry.

"Can you get transferred to another school? One that has family housing?" came his question, which was soon followed by a gentle hand to brush her tears away, his other hand sliding down to rest upon the ring that she now possessed, the physical promise of his love for his Bonded.

"Y-yeah . . . I guess . . ."

Pulling her to sit beside him upon the cool ground near the foundation for their cottage, Optimus kissed her tears away, seeing that there was more than one issue that was pressing upon his fiancé's mind. "Hush, love, hush. Don't fret . . ."

"I don't want Sinead to risk her life again . . ."

"Neither do I. I don't want Dinobot to have to worry about harming her again. I want neither of them to come to harm, but it's not up to me anymore." Using his shirt to press against her eyes, Nurannoniel felt him brush at her hair. His voice was calming. "They'll be fine. Have faith. They're both strong. They love each other."

"I love you."

"There has never been any other who has caused my Spark such a rapport than with you."

Blinking in shock, Nurann looked up at the human Optimus. "Wow. That was Silverbolt-style sappy. I didn't think that you had _that_ kinda talent."

"I'm_full_ of surprises," he replied with a jaunty wink, kissing the tip of her nose.

Laughing, Nurann looked up at the stars, leaning against the love of her life.

.o.V.o.

"Hacker?"

"No, I'm not asleep."

"I didn't think so."

"What d'you think you'll do when you finally start working?"

"Sheet metal."

"Uh . . . really?"

"Why not?"

"High risk job, anyone?"

Depth Charge chuckled deeply. "What else do you think that I would take up? Think for a moment about my personality. Don't say that you haven't seen that in me."

"Relentless intent upon self-destruction?"

"Funny, fleshling."

"I sure thought so," Hacker said cheerfully, grinning and rolling over to look at the large human lying upon a pallet a bit lower than the height of her own bed. "You're cute when you're irritated."

"You'd be the first to think so."

Kissing his nose, she smiled. "But that's because I'm right."

Not bothering to hide his smile, Depth Charge rested his hands behind his head. "Of course, dear."

"Oh,_don't_ start that . . ."

"Yes, dear."

Laughing, Hacker moved herself onto his pallet, causing him to protest half-heartedly, then sigh and pull her close. "Willful shrew."

"Uh-huh."

"Don't change."

"I won't."

Stroking her face softly, the human Depth Charge lulled her into sleep, smiling tenderly at the expression she wore when asleep and completely relaxed.

.o.V.o.

_Poack-seeeewww-fwooooosssshhhh._

"Wooooooaaaah."

Inferno laughed at the look upon Miss Special's face, then leaned around her. "Like the modification I made upon it?"

"Wow."

"That'd be a yes," he replied, his proper British accent causing him to sound both kind and smug at the same time in a way that wasn't entirely unpleasant. "The range is now long enough that I should be able to light the central firepit without having to leave the_Darksyde_'s back porch. The pellet that I fire from this has a thin layer between the two chemicals that ruptures at the point of contact. It is carefully made so that it doesn't explode at the point of ejection from the flamethrower."

"Wow." She looked up at him. "So when can I get one of these?"

"Soon," he promised. "When I am able to create another."

Looking it over again, Miss Special could only grin. Looking up at Inferno, she sighed, seeing the distant look upon his face as he gazed in the direction of a certain couple's Valhalla. "They're fine."

"I worry."

"I know. You would."

"I shouldn't. He and I were enemies."

"Has he treated you as one when you've been here?"

"No . . ."

"Then don't worry. Show me how what this button does."

"I . . . cannot concentrate upon much right now . . ."

"'Ferno, c'mon, believe me. If they were going to die, they'd've done it_months_ ago," Miss Special said practically, ever the logical one to find the quickest and most efficient solution. "They're not gonna die, and they're just gonna be easier to deal with later on this week."

"Why's that?"

"Sinead will be as happy as a cat in cream and Dinobot won't be moping. Now show me what this button does before I press it."

.o.V.o.

"Lady, stop pacing and come to bed."

"Not yet."

"This is unlike you."

"Shush. I know."

Reaching out tentatively with his empathy, Rampage felt the emotional states of all those within the cabins' enclosures. "You aren't the only one worrying. Gentle, controlled fear rides the breeze tonight."

"What of Sinead?"

Cautiously probing in that direction, Rampage felt a worried fear . . . but contentment . . . trust . . . love . . . "Enough love to make me gag. She's not going to die. Her soul is strong, if wounded by the recent events."

"And Dinobot?"

Giving the Nova Scotian authoress a look of tried patience, he whispered, "I will not look into his emotional state. For him to relinquish his fear of me, he has to come to trust me on his own terms. I do not believe that event will ever come to pass."

"But you'll probe Sinead."

"She trusts me with her life."

"Then why doesn't Dinobot?"

Sighing, the sometimes-Transmetal crossed his legs, sitting up upon their shared bed in the _Darksyde_. "She trusts me because she has seen both myself and the other Rampage. Because she has questioned both myself and my motives."

"I didn't know that."

"You weren't supposed to. She worried for you."

"When was this?"

"Back in the Wars."

Silent for a long moment, but still pacing, Lady Venom whispered, "She . . . really did worry for me, huh?"

"Still does. When I lose my temper . . . she watches me. With a look that, if I were a lesser bot, cause me to fear what rides behind her eyes."

"Why?"

"You are her friend."

"Yes."

"She is your friend."

"Yeah."

"Then that is your reason. Now come to bed and sleep. I'm tired and your racing mind is not helping me any."

"You're getting spoiled," Lady Venom warned in a grumble as she did what her Bonded said to, but being ornery and hopping _between_ the sheets.

"Faugh . . . And as if _you_ aren't?" he replied, pulling the sheet she was lying upon out from under her and quickly embracing her from behind. "Sleep, my Lady. I will guard you and your dreams."

.o.V.o.

Dinobot grunted in pain, then sat back, crossing his legs, letting his head fall into his hands. Sinead leaned closer, touching his face softly, not having the words to say what she wanted to. He was trembling mightily, the strain of his journey to this point beginning to rest far too heavily upon him. Breathing deeply to dispel the pain radiating from his Spark and head, Dinobot murmured in just above a whisper, "Hurts . . . we left this too long." Snarling, he amended, "_I_ left this too long. I'm sorry . . ."

"Hush. Breathe," the woman whispered.

He nodded, optics still off, a migraine beginning to throb behind them. Cool, deft hands pulled his helmet off, setting it aside and massaging his face gently, rubbing at his forehead and temples. "I remember when I first really looked at you."

"In the _Darksyde_? When you, Sapphire and Rattrap found me?"

"No. In the _Axalon_. When Rhinox was beginning to patch you up, and even though you knew that you had to get repaired, you were afraid to."

"Afraid . . . yes. I was." Sighing, he held her hands still, his crimson optics glancing up to her blue eyes. "I still am. But of what you may do to my soul."

"I'm scared, too," Sinead whispered. "This has changed us in so many ways already . . . I'm afraid of what it will do to us if we go any further."

"But we have to."

"For life itself."

"Yes."

They sat in silence again, simply watching each other. Sinead traced a hand to rest over the chest-plating that had slid back into place after the third attempt at the final Bonding stage had failed. Dinobot pressed his fingers over hers lightly. For a long while, they sat like that, breathing, hearing each other's heartbeats and for one, the pulse of his Spark. With a deep breath that released the remaining tension in her body, Sinead whispered, "Remember when we first Bonded?"

Dinobot nodded, catching her gaze again. "You shook."

"Badly, yes."

"What of our Bonding?"

"I know this seems strange to think of . . . but I really wasn't_that_ physically hurt when we Bonded. Just my back."

"What are you saying?" Dinobot whispered, leaning in closer.

"What if . . . what if I was wrong when I hypothesized to Rhinox that it was the physical equal need that defined if humans and Cybertronians could Bond? What if it was the _spiritual_ strength?"

"Or the broken-ness of the Spark or soul itself, hidden though the wound may be."

"Exactly."

"Interesting." Rubbing at his sore optics, Dinobot asked, "So what will that mean for us?"

"Let's try this again."

"I_hurt_."

"I know. I feel it, too. But we _have_ to try this. We _have_ to get this done before it's too late. Especially if it means that you could die because of our lack of action on the matter."

Dinobot pulled Sinead into his arms, sighing against her hair. Her voice was soft, whispery. "Ready?"

"No, however . . ." With a deep sigh, Dinobot opened the plating over his Spark, resisting the urge to hide the pulsating orb of mystical energy with his hand.

Sinead whispered, "Are you afraid of what I may see within your soul? Is that what's holding you back?"

"Are you not?"

"I am. But I trust you to look upon those faults within me and not judge."

With a deep breath, Dinobot nodded twice. "I still fear . . . but . . . you are right. I trust you."

Sinead closed her eyes, and started to feel at the link between herself and Dinobot, opening her eyes as she saw what the physical effect of that act of opening her soul to him had. His Spark brightened, the usually-perfect skin of the Spark becoming whispery, almost to the point of reaching out to her. Calming his breathing again, Dinobot opened the connection between them from his end, watching as the wisps surrounding his Spark begin to move a bit more than before. And then he accepted his fear.

Sinead felt that acceptance, and closed her eyes, taking a bit longer to accept her own fear and pain. Once done, she reached up to touch Dinobot's face lightly, but he caught her hand. "No. This time . . . no. Wait."

She nodded, eyes still closed.

And then felt herself solidify in a strange way, from the core of her being outwards. There was lightness of soul, but a gravity as well. There was pain, but . . . innocent pleasure. Fear and love. Hate and love. Fear and acceptance. There were emotions that felt alien to her, and those that felt like home.

Eyes still closed, she felt images. Not saw, but felt them.

Dinobot.

Herself.

Their souls.

This was as far as they had gotten the last three times, and she paused in going further, evaluating the situation. Then her image-self unglued itself from her physical posture, reaching out hesitantly. Dinobot was confused and scared, not sure of what was to happen next. He had been the one initiating the Bonding . . . doing what Sinead was doing now.

But he had to trust her.

So he reached out for her as well, his image-self, and then felt the next step.

As did Sinead. Warmth radiated from her . . . a smile.

Together, at the same time, trusting in each other as equals, as friends as lovers, as betrothed, as soul-mates, they continued with the Bonding.

Everything else was lost in a flood of gentle, loving light.

.o.V.o.

Eyes tried peeking into the darkened room through the shutters from across the small clearing that surrounded the house. A human Megatron squinted against the darkness around him, still unable to sleep for fear that something could happen to either Dinobot or Sinead. Thankfully, Starath was resting deeply for the both of them. She wouldn't wake until noon at the very least.

Leaves rustling against each other alerted Megatron that another was joining him. He looked away to see Rattrap approaching with a blanket around his shoulders. Meara was behind him with Rhinox and more blankets. Megatron joined them, accepting the offered blanket and speaking in a hushed whisper. "Either they already Bonded, or they have been having trouble re-establishing the previous Bond."

"I was worried about that," Rhinox rumbled, tucking his arms across his wide chest, the extra-large hooded sweatshirt pulling over the muscles of his upper arms almost tautly. "They waited so long that it would take a little while longer than normal."

Blushing in the just-past-midnight gloom, Megatron whispered, "Starath and I waited until she returned to us here . . . it was harder than I expected. Our problem was re-opening the first level to re-establish it."

"Didn't have dat issue," Rattrap whispered. "Sapph and I . . . well . . . we were fully Bonded by da time dey went back t' deir 'normal' lives."

Meara whispered, "How much harder will it be for two who were severely injured to reopen a bond made when their injuries forced them to create it?"

Rhinox sighed, but was cut off as a flash of light outlined the holes in the shudders for almost a full half-minute before fading slowly. Each Cybertronian-born human stared in shock, which quickly turned into embarrassment, causing the three men to blink at each other and then look to Meara, who blinked back at them. "I take it that it's something supposed to be _extremely_ private?"

"Let's put it dis way," Rattrap whispered. "Normal people who are married and are private about even _kissin'_ wouldn't do lovemakin' in public, right?"

"Riiight?" Meara said in a tone indicative that Rattrap should continue.

"Think about how private dat act is. Den think about how private joining actual _souls_ are. An' I don't mean in da ceremonial sense. You humans have some strange customs, but for Cybertronians . . . da marriage is private to da couple in question." He shook his head. "You _don't_talk about it. Only da effects o' what da Bond does."

"What he's trying to say is that we've just committed a heinous act of blasphemy, witnessing even _that_," Rhinox supplied, voice subdued.

"Oh."

"Let's give them three hours, _then_ come back," Megatron suggested.

The other three hastily agreed, and all four walked back to the cabin_Axalon_, finding Sapphire and Starath sleepily awake again. The six went into the kitchen to sit vigil with mugs of tea.

They wouldn't have to wait long.


	17. Epilogue

Stolen Virtue  
By Sinead

_**Author's Note:**__ I just realized how long it has been since I started this story. And I wish to thank everyone who has been patient in waiting for the parts. I wish that I had been able to figure out how to get the ball rolling again earlier . . . but I guess that it just wasn't meant to be finished before now! Special thanks go out to Sapphire and Hacker in pushing at me to continue this story over Botcon 2006. They've been nothing but encouraging that I could get it done, and without them giving me cause to put my brain into gear again, I don't think that this could have been continued, never mind finished. My most heartfelt thanks to those two, as well as to all my readers. Where would I be without you guys?_

.o.V.o.

**Epilogue**

.o.V.o.

_Knock-knock._

Groaning, Meara opened the door to the main cabin, not liking having to stand up from her cosy spot on the overstuffed armchair that she claimed while visiting at the house. She especially hated getting up from it while watching her favorite movie. A balding man with observant, deep eyes stared back at her behind thick glasses. "Oh. I'm sorry. I was looking for someone who probably isn't here. He's pulled this prank before about the driveways, and–"

"I'd bet stakes that he probably is," Meara replied, subtly tensing herself and glaring around the man at something moving around the corner of the other cottage. Sighing, she shook her head, muttering something about earlybirds and the idiocy of trying to get things done the day after returning from a convention.

"Ah . . . is Scott McNeil around?"

Turning to look around a corner within the house, Meara tossed a cloth onto the second couch in the living room, which was easily in throwing distance from the back door. "Hoi. Farmer. Get'cherself offa my couch and greet your visitor."

"Now why would I have– Richard!" Scott's voice had started out as a weary yawn, but brightened when he saw his old co-actor.

"Thought so," Meara mumbled. "Make sure you two don't wake anyone else up. They're still trying to recover from Botcon." She made a noise of mock disgust. "Actors. Always up to something."

Richard chuckled, wondering why this woman reminded him of someone he had met at the aforementioned Botcon, then felt, rather than saw, the large shadow fall across him. Turning, all he saw were glowing red eyes.

If Meara hadn't called out, "Rhinox, how are they?" the actor would have expired upon the spot.

Sighing, Rhinox shifted, letting the early sunlight fall upon him a bit differently, showing his face a bit more clearly. "Can't tell. They've all barricaded their cottage windows. I'm betting that they're sleeping in and trying not to see daylight unless it falls directly into their eyes from some missed crack. Who's this?"

"Richard Newman. Your voice," Scott replied, grinning.

"Want a bath, fleshling?" Rhinox growled out at Scott, obviously tired and tense. "The waterhole's freezingly chipper this time of year, and I'm _really_ low on patience and sleep."

"Hold up, hold up," Richard said, looking from one to the other. "What's with all this tension? And how are who?"

Before anyone could say anything, a mud clod hit Rhinox squarely on the side of his head. He turned to glare into the shadows as two more clods were launched with the same accuracy to smack into his nose and chest. He spat out the sodden dirt. "Fiends! Get out here!"

"I think not!" Dinobot's raucous, snarling, and unmistakeable voice replied. "Stop spying on us!"

"We were worried! You two don't sleep as much as the others do!"

"Appreciated," Sinead's voice said softly, and she came out from the shadows beside the house, smiling. "But we're fine. It's distracting, you know? Hearing people all around Valhalla trying not to be heard while they're worrying about the amount of sleep Dinobot and I either _are_ or are _not_ getting."

"It's_you_!" Richard said, face lighting up with a grin. "I _knew_ that there was something strange about how your group were so comfortable with us! You've got _them_ around!"

Winking, Sinead replied, "Of course. How was your flight, Uncle?" Before he could answer, Sinead turned to glare into the shadows around a tree. "Dinobot! Knock it off, you've made your point!"

Richard grinned widely, his laugh not loud but hearty and filled with the same type of personality that Rhinox often displayed. Calm, deep and appreciative of the small things. "So I'm still the adopted uncle, eh? With Rhinox around, I can see why you picked me up to adopt."

Laughing in response to his observation, the Bonded authoress shrugged. "Yeah. I thought that I'd just extend the invitation of being part of the 'family' to you."

"Including the Beasties?"

"Including the Beasties. Especially the Beasties. They're almost all here." She glared into the line of trees. "Dinobot! Seriously! Put the mud down!"

Grumbling, a filthy-to-the-elbows Dinobot finally stalked out while dropping a half-formed mudball, but was tackled by Rattrap not three steps out. They engaged in a fight so vicious that it caused Sinead to drop her jaw at how ferociously they were moving, then shake her head. "Oookay. So. Richard. What've you been up to?"

"Nothing that bears speaking until I know what the heck has been going on here," he replied. "Now. Tell me what _exactly_ has happened here. Start to finish, no detail left out."

Grinning, Meara nodded. "Yeah, Shyn, you were completely right. He really_is_ like Rhinox."

"Told you," Sinead replied, smiling up the older man. "So. How about we get started on that tale?" Her face dropped, and she snapped over to the still-brawling bots, "Hey! That was illegal, Rattrap!"

"Only if yer human!" the rodent snapped back.

"I happen to like him intact!"

The small Maximal stared at Sinead in shock as Dinobot dissolved into a roaring laugh at the look of shock on his face. Rhinox wisely grinned facing away from the two. Richard was smiling a little, but Scott and Meara were staring at Sinead in something akin to shock. She was grinning. "Knew that would get you to stop. C'mon, help me tell this messy tale and string it up as it should be strung."

"I've da feelin' dat she'll string _me_ up if I don' help," Rattrap muttered to Dinobot.

"Painfully correct," the raptor replied, turning human and walking ahead to rest his hand upon Sinead's shoulder, sighing. "I might need to rest a little . . ."

"You early-birds have no stamina," Sinead said through a snicker. The comment sent ripples of giggles through the rooms of the house. Sapphire, Miss Special and Hacker looked up from where they were pulling Botcon reports and pictures together for the Beast Wars International site. Their update would be an easy one, what with three people sharing the load.

"Th-that wasn't fair," Dinobot said, voice gruff.

"Take a joke, sweetie."

"No. I won't. I refuse."

"Ah. Doomed from the beginning, then."

"Blasted human."

"Wonderfully talented tin can."

Rattrap made smoochy noises in the background, but was cut off by a large green metal hand cuffing the side of his head roughly. The contact sent the small Maximal flying backwards and out into the exact mud hole that the short bot had been trying to land Dinobot in.

Dinobot was blushing quietly as he shifted his weight and began helping to make the hot drinks. Richard was laughing at the smirk on Sinead's face, and she held her hand out to indicate that he could enter. "Welcome to your second home, Richard. Let yourself settle in. We've got quite a story to tell you, and you might never believe us."

Smiling kindly, the older man shook his head, glancing up at the human Rhinox who had followed Meara into the kitchen, helping her with making tea. The two were close, but neither had mentioned plans of becoming closer. Until Sinead unfocused her eyes a little, looking _past_ their physical forms in the way that the Bonded humans could, seeing something that made her smile wider. Dinobot caught her smile, then brushed his hand through her hair once, nodding. He had seen it too.

They sat at the kitchen table, Sinead putting crackers, cheese and Oreo's in the center of it. Within fifteen minutes, a cleaned-up Rattrap and Sapphire entered the room, with Starath and Megatron right behind them. Hacker and a groggy Depth Charge were next. The tall human sat against the wall, seemingly falling asleep. But when Hacker held a mug of coffee under his nose, he took it without opening his eyes and sipped it. Lady Venom and Rampage entered, having followed the sounds of people moving around and dealing with each other and greeting the new voice actor.

Richard watched the activity silently, seeing how everyone was waiting for things to settle before starting the tale. Rampage was watching Dinobot with no little apprehension. The warrior looked to the once-killer with a calm, level look, smiling reassuringly. Not convinced, the Predacon took a seat upon a stool to hear him out. Sinead ruffled his stiff hair and handed him burnt toast. He looked at it, then at her, roaring, "You best be glad that I'm vowed not to harm you, human! This is a sin against creation!"

"Is that _Rampage_?" came the incredulous question.

Some giggles, a belly laugh, and Rampage's blink answered him. The sometimes-crab spat out, "Duh. No disrespect intended."

"None taken."

"Woman! I want non-burnt toast! Pronto-oh." He blinked at the perfectly-golden double pair of slices that were placed before him by Meara, and smiled up at her thankfully. "Uh. Thank you."

"You're welcome." She turned and walked away amid dry chuckles at how she proved that she could handle any of the Beast Warriors without even fighting them for respect.

When people were still and enjoying their hot drinks, Dinobot took the first turn. "It all started with a battle between Rattrap against two Predacons. They had captured Rattrap to torture. I got wind of it from the rodent himself as a last-minute transmission, then stopped Silverbolt from returning to base upon my way into my patrol sector. I knew that there was something that I could do about it. I traded myself for Rattrap. They tortured me. It was after three days of their torture that this story _truly_ begins." He looked to Sinead, smiling. "And it starts, and for me, ends, with my wife. Sinead."


End file.
